Freshman Marta Cvitkovic leads Bulls with 12 kills
TAMPA, MARCH 20, 2021 – The USF women’s volleyball team (6-6; 3-3 American) dropped a rematch with Tulane (8-9; 5-3 American) in The Corral on Saturday after sweeping the Green Wave, 3-0, in the first meeting Friday in the two-match, scheduled non-conference series.
USF dropped the first two sets before claiming set three and establishing some momentum. A pair of power outages caused a couple of 15-20-minute delays between sets two and three and a point into set four. Tulane held off the Bulls rally to claim the fourth set and take a 3-1 victory: 25-17, 25-19, 23-25, and 25-21.
The Bulls were led by freshman outside hitter Marta Cvitkovic (Rijeka, Croatia) with 12 kills, four blocks and two service aces. Middle blocker Makayla Washington (Tallahassee, Fla.) and Agata Plaga (Gizycko, Poland) added 11 kills each. Plaga posted three service aces for the second straight day, tying a career-best, and added three blocks. Freshmen Sara Griffith (Chicago, Ill.), also tied her career-best with four blocks.
The first set was close until, with the match tied at 10, Tulane mounted a 7-1 run. The Bulls tried to close the gap with a kill by Washington trailing 18-11. Tulane kept up the pressure and took the first set, after hitting .259 to the Bulls’ .037 in the first frame.
Early in the second set, the Bulls posted a 3-1 run with a kill from Plaga and an ace by Alexis Williams (St. Louis, Mo.) to take a 7-4 lead. Tulane tied it at 7-7. The Bulls continued a balanced attack, and a kill by Cvitkovic and an ace by Plaga helped stake them to a 9-7 lead. The Green Wave used a 3-0 run to take a 12-10 lead and force a USF timeout. A pair of kills by Jac St. Cin (St. Petersburg) and Plaga tied the score at 12. Tulane opened a 18-14 advantage and forced another USF timeout. The Green Wave controlled the set the rest of the way before posting a 25-19 victory in the second set.
USF took an early lead in the third set, mounting a 3-0 run for a 7-2 lead that forced a Tulane timeout. A kill by Plaga and a combo block by Ally Barnhart (Lenexa, Ks.), and Cvitkovic upped the Bulls’ advantage to 9-3. Tulane countered with a 4-0 run in an attempt to tie the score, but a kill by Griffith kept USF in the lead. An ace by Plaga saw the set tied at 16. The Bulls called their second timeout of the set after Tulane took a two-point advantage at 22-20. A combo block by Plaga and Barnhart forced a Tulane timeout with the Bulls trailing 22-23. USF mounted a 3-0 run and seized the set after another combo block by Plaga and Barnhart. The Bulls hit a match-best .265 in the third.
The USF rally continued into the fourth set. A pair of combo blocks by Griffith and Cvitkovic gave the Bulls a 4-0 run and forced a Tulane timeout with USF leading 13-10. The Green Wave used a 5-0 run to build an 18-16 lead. A pair of kills by Washington saw the Bulls trailing 18-19. Leading 21-20, Tulane called a timeout. The Green Wave returned to post a 4-1 run and close out the match with a 25-21 victory in the final set.
NOTABLE
• Agata Plaga tied career-highs with three service aces and three blocks.
• Sara Griffith tied her career-best with four blocks.
• Marta Cvitkovic tied her career-best with four blocks.
NEXT UP
The Bulls will prepare for the War-On-14 next weekend in Orlando. USF and UCF will meet in a pair of matches on Fri., March 26 and Sat., March 27. Both matches are set for a first serve at 7 p.m.
About USF Women’s Volleyball
Head coach Jolene Shepardson begins her first season at the helm of her alma mater in 2020-21. Named head coach on Jan. 8, 2020, Shepardson led the Bulls’ program to its last conference championship and NCAA tournament appearance as a student-athlete in 2002. USF made its last postseason appearance in 2018, posting 20 wins and appearing in the NIVC. USF Volleyball has made seven NCAA Tournament appearances and won 12 conference titles since its inception in 1972 and is entering its 49th campaign in 2020-21. The Bulls play in The Corral (1,000), adjacent to the Yuengling Center on the USF campus.
Be sure to follow USF women’s volleyball on social media (Twitter/Instagram/Facebook) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.
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