CC Clausen moved into fourth place all-time for digs in USF history.
JACKSONVILLE (September 10, 2021) – The University of South Florida Bulls (3-4) opened play at the Jasonville Dolphin Classic on Friday with wins over Long Island University and Furman University. CC Clausen (The Woodlands, Texas) tallied 33 digs on the day and moved into fourth place all-time in program history for digs (1,333).
USF began the afternoon with a four set win over Long Island before the Bulls capped an action-packed day with a sweep of Furman. USF took down Long Island by scores of 19-25, 25-21, 25-16 and 27-25. The Bulls breezed past Furman by set scores of 25-16, 25-18 and 25-20.
Match 1 vs. Long Island
USF got off to a slow start offensively, committing eight attacking errors in the opening set loss. The Bulls flipped the script for the remainder of the match though and evened the score at one set apiece by forcing seven Shark attacking errors in the second game.
The Bulls were laser sharp in set three, recording a .382 hitting percentage with 16 kills and only three attacking miscues.
USF put an end to the match with a come-from-behind effort in set four. A kill by Tizi Puljiz (Resistencia, Argentina) put the Bulls in front, 13-11, before the Sharks rattled off seven straight points to claim an 18-13 advantage. USF answered with a five-point run late to knot the score at 21-21 that featured a pair of service aces by Alexis Williams (St. Louis, Mo.).
Long Island scored three of the next four points, and arrived at set point, looking to force a fifth game. USF’s middles had other plans. On consecutive plays, Puljiz and Ally Barnhart (Lenexa, Kan.) recorded solo blocks to tie the game at 24-24. The Sharks had one more chance to put it away at 25-24, but the Bulls scored three straight points, capped on a kill by Ragan Kinard (Lynn Haven), and USF ended the match.
Clausen registered 21 digs while Williams totaled a career-best 17 in the back row. At the net, the Bulls posted 10 blocks in the victory.
Match 2 vs. Furman
The Bulls kept their momentum going in a big way in Friday’s finale as the team collectively hit .274 – a new season high. Marta Cvitkovic (Rijeka, Croatia) paced USF with seven kills.
Williams stayed hot at the service line with a career-best four aces as everything was clicking for the Bulls.
USF opened up a 13-5 lead in the first set and held off a flurry by Furman as the Paladins made it a 13-11 contest. The Bulls answered with a seven-point run to make it 22-12 and quickly closed out the opening game.
Furman made a late run at the Bulls in set two before USF floored the final four points, capped on a kill by Barnhart, to make it a 2-0 match.
The Bulls closed out the sweep with another comeback effort as they had done earlier in the day against Long Island. Furman took a 15-10 lead in the third set. USF rattled off seven straight points from there and never looked back as Amiree Hendricks-Walker (Los Angeles, Calif.) drilled the game-winning kill.
Notable
- Cvitkovic led the Bulls with 18 kills vs. Long Island.
- Amanda DeWitt (Jupiter) floored a career-best 16 kills vs. Long Island.
- Eke Denessen (Venlo, Netherlands) dished out a career-high 23 assists vs. Long Island.
- Williams tallied career highs in digs (17) and aces (4) on the day.
- Clausen’s next target is third place on the all-time digs list held by Stephanie Augustavo (2005-08) with 1,440.
Up Next
The Bulls wrap up the weekend against tournament host Jacksonville University on Saturday at 2 p.m.
About USF Volleyball
Head coach Jolene Shepardson enters her second season at the helm of her alma mater in 2021-22. 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 50th campaign in 2021-22. 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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