Marta Cvitkovic floored 18 kills in a win over tournament host Stetson.
DELAND, Fla. (September 17, 2021) – The University of South Florida Bulls (5-5) bounced back from a Friday morning defeat to New Mexico State University (8-3) by toppling the tournament host Hatters (4-6) in the nightcap of the Stetson University Invitational.
USF’s All-Conference outside hitter Marta Cvitkovic (Rijeka, Croatia) paced the Bulls with 23 total kills over two matches.
Match 1 vs. New Mexico State (22-25, 12-25, 15-25)
The Bulls struggled offensively to begin the day after a scorching-hot offensive effort last weekend en route to winning the Jacksonville University Dolphin Classic.
USF was stuffed at the net eight times Friday morning and committed 23 attacking errors, after combining for just 18 miscues over its last two matches, and finished with a .045 hitting percentage against the Aggies.
Amanda DeWitt (Jupiter) paced the attack with seven kills. Cvitkovic and Ally Barnhart (Lenexa, Kan.) floored five kills apiece. Kelsey O’Loughlin (Fort Lauderdale) dished out 11 assists to the offense.
Amiree Hendricks-Walker (Los Angeles, Calif.) recorded six kills and registered a pair of blocks. CC Clausen (The Woodlands, Texas) led the defense with 12 digs.
Match 2 vs. Stetson (25-23, 20-25, 25-18, 25-15)
Coming off a straight-set loss with seven hours between start times and having to face the hometown Hatters didn’t faze the young and resilient Bulls against Stetson in the nightcap.
USF overcame a 23-22 deficit in the first set against the Hatters to score three unanswered points for a win. Tizi Puljiz (Resistencia, Argentina) had a big kill late to give the Bulls a 24-23 edge before a Stetson attacking error sealed the opening game.
The Hatters answered with a win in set two, but it was all USF from there. The Bulls hit .211 in set three while forcing the home team into 12 attack errors, and USF finished off the night with a .419 clip in the fourth set. The Bulls floored 14 kills in the final game while committing just one attacking error.
USF totaled 13 blocks at the net (one away from a season high), contributing to Stetson’s offensive woes. The Bulls also tallied 69 digs – just one away from matching their season best in a four set match.
Cvitkovic downed a match-high 18 kills, and Puljiz floored 11 of her own. Barnhart added eight kills while leading the net defense with six blocks. Jac St. Cin (St. Petersburg), who had missed the team’s first eight matches this season, returned earlier against New Mexico State and finished with three kills against Stetson.
O’Loughlin and Eke Denessen (Venlo, Netherlands) combined for 40 assists.
Notable
- Cvitkovic has reached double digits in kills four times this season.
- DeWitt, a true freshman, is averaging over nine kills per match over her last six outings.
- Clausen (1,374) is now just 27 digs away from claiming sole possession of third place all-time on USF’s career digs list.
Up Next
The Bulls wrap up the weekend tournament and their non-conference slate against Bethune-Cookman University on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in DeLand, Fla.
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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