USF volleyball is coming off a 20-win season that saw the Bulls make their first postseason appearance since 2002.
Head coach Courtney Draper’s squad will face UAB and Ball State in Muncie, Ind., on Friday.
BALL STATE TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE: USF vs. UAB, 2:30 p.m. Friday | USF vs. Ball State, 7 p.m. Friday
LOCATION: Worthen Arena, Muncie, Ind.
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, AUG. 29, 2019 – After making its first postseason appearance since 2002, USF volleyball looks to build much more program momentum with a new cast of Bulls in 2019.
Eighth-year USF head coach Courtney Draper’s squad returns seven letter winners while nine talented newcomers enter the mix at a great time. The competitive fire burns brightly for the Bulls, who posted their first 20-win season in 16 years last fall and competed in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship.
”For the kids who are new and don’t know any better, they’re following our leaders,” Draper said. “Those leaders want to win and be a part of the postseason, and not just the NIVC but the NCAA tournament.”
The road to playing for it all begins in Muncie, Ind., where the Bulls open their season Friday at the Ball State Tournament. USF will take on UAB at 2:30 p.m. before a 7 p.m. test against Ball State, which also took part in the 2018 NIVC and won the MAC West Division last season.
“I think Ball State is going to be a very tough one and UAB is a great way to open the season,” Draper said. “They’re very similar to us, as far as what they return and what they have coming in.”
Before heading out to Indiana, USF prepared well for the season with a pair of exhibition matches along with a series of practices that excited Draper’s new staff.
“I’ve been impressed with all of our new pieces and equally or more impressed with our returning players who put in all the work in the spring to be so much better today than they were when they left,” Draper said.
Learn about USF’s Returning Talent
Primed for a super senior season, outside hitter Jac’cara Walker has become even more of a weapon for the Bulls after earning first team all-conference honors in 2018.
”Any senior is going to have that urgency where they want to make their last year their best year,” Draper said. “You see that from Jac’cara for sure.”
The motivated Gainesville, Fla., native recently earned preseason all-conference honors after finishing fourth in The American with 394 kills last fall and leading USF with 15 double-doubles.
“I think she’s always been known for her offensive ability and her ability to create shots and make plays, but she’s really done a nice job blocking for us,” Draper said. “I think her passing has also gotten a lot better.”
Setting has been smooth with Lauren LaBeck taking the next step in her career. The sophomore from Elk Grove, Ill., recorded 474 assists last season and averaged 34.4 in the final seven matches as USF’s primary setter.
“Lauren is running a really nice tempo offense,” Draper said. “This year, she is running the show and doing a really good job at that.”
Starting outside hitter Lindsey Pliapol (Daytona Beach, Fla.) put on a show of her own this preseason with powerful swings while returning libero CC Clausen is “digging everything.” The sophomore from The Woodlands, Texas is coming off a solid USF debut season filled with 526 digs, good for fifth in program history.
Redshirt junior Nyemba Musemuna is back for more following a breakout 2018 campaign that saw the Avon, Ind., native set career highs with 106 kills and 91 blocks. Musemuna has moved to middle blocker thanks to USF’s added depth on the right side that includes healthy returner Peyton Thompson (Spartanburg, S.C.).
“It’s nice to have some experience in the middle,” Draper said.
‘Flawless Transition’ for Newcomers
Depth at outside hitter has increased with two freshmen Draper is already very familiar with.
Jac St. Cin (St. Peterburg, Fla.) helped lead Shorecrest Prep to a state title in 2018 as the Pinellas Player of the Year and was coached by Draper in the past.
“That kid is going to be really good,” Draper said. “She actually played for me since she was 13 years old. We were the ones that taught her footwork on her attack approach and everything. It’s pretty fun to see that.”
Draper also gets a kick out of coaching Makayla Washington, who is the daughter of her former Florida State volleyball teammate, Latoya.
“(Jac and Makayla) have known me for quite a long time, so I think there’s an immediate trust there,” Draper said.
Another key addition to the roster is middle blocker Ally Barnhart, who is the tallest Bull on the team at 6-foot-4. Despite being a freshman, the Lenexa, Kan., standout already gained big-time experience with Asics MAVS 18-1.
“She played two years of 18 Open, so basically everyone she’s been playing against for the last two years has been college-type athletes,” Draper said. “She’s really had a great preseason and I expect really big things from her this season.”
St. Cin, Washington and Barnhart are three of seven true freshmen on the team that includes a total of 13 underclassmen. Jac’cara Walker is the lone senior on the roster.
“On paper, we are young but these kids can play ball. They are big and they are physical,” Draper said. “Our new additions have all played at the highest level of club or junior college. It’s pretty much a flawless transition for them.”
Meet Draper’s Staff
USF’s success last year created new opportunities Draper’s staff couldn’t pass up, so she hired more high-impact coaches this offseason.
A former collegiate standout at the University of Tampa, Meghan Magnusson is back on familiar ground following three seasons as an assistant coach and director of recruiting at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Magnusson will serve as recruiting coordinator, work closely with the setters, handle scouting and assist with calling offensive plays for the Bulls.
“Meghan and I have known each other for over 10 years,” Draper said. “I’ve always kind of had my eye on her as an up-and-coming coach.”
Meghan’s husband, Daniel, brings top-level experience to USF as an assistant coach who will train attackers and blockers, handle all video breakdown, scout and game prep for opponents and assist with recruiting both nationally and internationally. Daniel Magnusson was an assistant for Sweden’s junior national team in 2017 and coached professionals for seven years after playing pro volleyball in Sweden from 2002-07.
“His experience in the gym is really, really good, especially preparing for upcoming opponents,” Draper said.
New volunteer assistant coach Ryan Vorderer recently won a national title as a player in England for University of Essex and Tendring Volleyball Club following seven seasons as a coach for Ultimate Volleyball Club. The Bulls also have a new Director of Operations in former Pitt assistant Shaughn McDonald.
“It’s a really good balance and I think the kids are really enjoying the change,” Draper said. “I feel really good about the staff.”
About USF Volleyball
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.
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