TAMPA, November 8, 2023 – The University of South Florida volleyball team (15-10, 9-5 AAC) will welcome the East Carolina Pirates (18-7, 9-5 AAC) to The Corral for a battle of sole possession of first place in the AAC East Division on Thursday and Friday.
Prior to Friday’s match, head coach Jolene Shepardson will honor the senior class of Marta Cvitkovic (Rijeka, Croatia), Kelsey O’Loughlin (Fort Lauderdale), Alexis Williams (St. Louis, Mo.), and student manager, Olivia Alexander.
Last week, the Bull went up north to the home of the Philly Cheesesteak to take on the Temple Owls. In Thursday’s five-set thriller, Maria Clara Andrade (Sao Paulo, Brazil) set a new career-high of 24 kills to lead the Bulls to a win. On Friday, the Bulls swept the Owls to tie ECU for a first-place spot in AAC East Division.
On Monday, Andrade earned her second AAC Offensive Player of the Week honor of the season, and the third for South Florida. She led the Bulls with 40 kills, averaging 5.00 kills per set.
Last season, South Florida finished ninth in the American Conference while East Carolina finished seventh, both under .500. Fast forward to this season and both teams are over .500 and tied for first place in the AAC East Division. With The Bulls and the Pirates sitting with a 9-5 conference record, the stakes are through the roof for the remaining five matches.
As a team, the Bulls are ranked in the top 100 in the nation in six categories: 33rd in assists per set (12.66), 54th in kills per set (13.33), 71st in aces per set (1.74), 76th in total service aces (158), 86th in hitting percentage (0.233), and 92nd in total assists (1,152).
Individually, three Bulls are in the top 100 in four categories. Buse Hazan is ranked in four categories: 49th in kills per set (3.90), 51st in points per set (4.46), 74th in total kills (346), and 75th in total points (392.5). Maria Clara Andrade is 86th in kills per set (3.61) and 96th in points per set (4.08). Caroline Dykes is 93rd in total assists with 826.
WEEKEND ROUND UP
East Carolina Pirates (18-7, 9-5 AAC)
Date: November 9 & 10 | 6 p.m. & 2 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: Statistics
Series vs. ECU: South Florida leads, 14-9
Scouting the opponent:
- Ecu is coming off a three-set loss to SMU, who holds the first-place spot in the American.
- Angeles Alderete leads the Pirates with 280 kills this season. She is averaging 3.08 kills per set.
- Defensively, Carlia Northcross averages 1.18 blocks per set with 106 for the season so far.
About USF Volleyball
Head coach Jolene Shepardson enters her fourth season at the helm of her alma mater in 2023. 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. 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.
– #GoBulls –
