The South Florida Bulls travel to Coral Gables, Fla., to face FGCU, Auburn, and Miami in the second road trip of the season.
MATCHUP: USF vs. FGCU // USF vs. Auburn // USF vs. Miami
WHEN: Friday, Sept. 6 at 11 a.m. // Saturday, Sept. 7 at 11 a.m. // Saturday, Sept. 7 at 5:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Coral Gables, Fla. // Knight Complex
TWITTER UPDATES: @USFVolleyball
TAMPA, Sept. 5, 2019 – USF volleyball will travel to Coral Gables, Fla. to take on FGCU, Auburn, and Miami. The matches will be held at the Knights Complex, beginning on Friday at 11 a.m. against FGCU
USF (2-0) enters the invitational after opening the 2019 season with a sweep at the Ball State Tournament with a four-set win over UAB (21-25, 25-17, 25-22, 25-22) and a five-set win over the hosts (25-20, 25-23, 18-25, 21-25, 15-13).
Three Bulls recorded double-doubles in the season opener win over UAB, including sophomores Lindsey Pilapol (Daytona Beach, Fla.) and Lauren LaBeck (Chicago) as well as senior preseason all-conference pick Jac’cara Walker (Gainesville, Fla.) Libero CC Clausen (The Woodlands, Tx.) anchored the defense, leading the match with 25 digs. Freshmen Ally Barnhart (Lenexa, Kan.) and Jac St. Cin (St. Petersberg, Fla.) each recorded 10 kills to spark the offense.
The USF women’s volleyball team went on to capture a five-set victory by taking the first two sets and rallying back in the final two, securing the win over Ball State. A career high of 22 kills came from outside hitter Pilapol, making it her second double-double of the day. Setter Rafaela Biegeleyer (Brazil) had 27 assists during the match
FGCU (3-0)
The Eagles have opened the 2019 season with three wins and will face USF for the first time since 2015. In their last victory, sophomore Dana Axner defensively totaled 25 digs and was named the MVP. A team-high of 21 kills came from Cortney VanLiew, who was named to the all-classic team.
Head coach Matt Botsford has led the Eagles over six seasons to an overall record of 116-45 and a record of 57-15 in ASUN play.
Auburn (1-2)
The Tigers current season has included two losses and a win over Butler. A season-opening 2-3 loss against Tennessee State was followed by a tough 0-3 loss while facing New Mexico State. In their most recent match, a 3-2 win over Butler has set the SEC member up for the road trip to Miami.
Junior Peyton White broke the Auburn single match record with her career-high 37 digs during the win over Butler, being named to the all-tournament team. Head coach Rick Nold is in his ninth season and has led the program to a 120-117 overall record.
Miami (0-1)
The Miami Hurricanes will play their second match of the 2019 season against USF, following a 1-3 loss against Missouri in the opener. Heading into 2019, Miami’s starters include transfer Janet Kalaniuvalu and two freshmen. Freshman outside hitter Kennedy Prince led the Canes with six kills off eleven attempts during the opener.
Miami will host the invitational, facing George Washington and USF.
Notables
- Pilapol and senior Walker each had two double-doubles on the day and were honored spots on the all-tournament team.
- Pilapol earned a spot on the AAC Honor Roll after her performance on opening weekend
- Peyton Thompson (Spartanburg, S.C.) had 13 kills and eight blocks on the day, earning the ride side hitter all-tournament recognition.
About USF Women’s Volleyball
Be sure to follow USF women’s soccer on social media (Twitter/Instagram/Facebook) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.
Head coach Courtney Draper led her team to 20 wins in 2018, the most in her time at USF and the most for the program since 2002. The Bulls appeared in the NIVC, the program’s first postseason trip since 2002. Senior outside hitter Jac’cara Walker led USF with 394 kills and recorded her 1000thcareer kill during the 2018 year, on her way to earning first team All-American Athletic Conference honors. USF returns four starters, including its libero, while welcoming 9 newcomers to the fray in 2019 in the form of two transfers and seven freshmen.
