El Paso, Texas, December 10, 2023 – The incredible season for the University of South Florida volleyball team (22-12, 13-6 AAC) came to an end in the NIVC semifinals after sweeping the University of Texas El Paso (25-9, 11-5 CUSA) on Sunday afternoon.
The Bulls lost 14-25, 24-26, 13-25.
Pius Hazan (Istanbul, Türkiye) Led the team with 11 kills and two aces. Maria Clara Andrade (Sao Paulo, Brazil) also had two aces. Mia Thomas (Gainesville) led by 12 holes.
The Bulls finished their season with 22 wins, the most wins in a season since 2002. It’s one of the best turnarounds in program history.
With a huge crowd behind them, the UTEP Miners cruised to a dominant opening set win. Six of the bull’s-eye points came from miners’ mistakes.
The second set was a back-and-forth battle as UTEP took an early 8-3 lead over South Florida. The Bulls responded with a 10-4 run to take a 13-12 lead. South Florida was one point away from taking the second set, but a 4-0 run with crowd support gave UTEP a two-set lead in the match.
The momentum from the Miners continued through the final set. The Bulls did everything they could to come back but a 6-0 UTEP run ended the game.
Notables
- UTEP’s defense recorded 10 blocks and held South Florida to two.
- The Bulls finished the season with 22 wins, the most since 2002.
About USF Volleyball
Coach Jolene Shepherdson She enters her fourth season at the helm of her alma mater in 2023. Named head coach on January 8, 2020, Shepherdson led the Bulls program to its last conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance as a student-athlete in 2002. Her last postseason appearance was in 2018, where He had 20 wins and an appearance in the NIVC. USF Volleyball has made seven NCAA Tournament appearances and won 12 conference titles since its inception in 1972. The Bulls play at The Corral (1000), adjacent to the Yuengling Center on the USF campus.
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