Joey Johnston
Athletics Senior Writer – GOUSFBULLS.COM YOUR HOME FOR ALL USF SPORTS – VISIT THEM OFTEN
Story Links
WEEKEND ROUND UP
Who: North Florida | NC Upstate
Date: Sept. 12 | Sept. 14
Time: 6 p.m. | 2 p.m.
Tournament Central: South Florida Invitational
USF volleyball coach Jolene Shepardson was asked Tuesday about her expectations for the South Florida Invitational at the Corral, the Bulls’ first home-court experience of the season.
“We’ll need more seats for sure,” Shepardson said.
It’s good volleyball weekend for sure as the Bulls (3-3) challenge the North Florida Ospreys on Thursday night, then ACC powerhouse NC State on Saturday afternoon.
But USF fan interest will be powered by what occurred last weekend in Gainesville, when the Bulls swept through the University of Florida Invitational for the program’s most notable showing in at least two decades.
The Bulls began with a five-set upset (15-25, 25-22, 12-25, 25-23, 15-10) of the No. 10-ranked Florida Gators for the biggest win in program history. It was USF’s first win against a nationally ranked opponent since Sept. 12, 1997 (a sweep of No. 11 Michigan State) and it ended a string of 39 consecutive defeats against opponents ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll.
It was also USF’s first volleyball win against the Gators since 1990 and the first time the Bulls had defeated a Mary Wise-coached UF team (Wise had been 18-0 against USF).
“All of it was just so huge, huge, huge,” Shepardson said.
And if that wasn’t enough, the Bulls followed it up with another emotionally charged victory against a quality opponent, downing the Big Ten Conference’s Ohio State Buckeyes (18-25, 25-21, 19-25, 25-18, 15-12), rallying from a 12-9 deficit in the final set by scoring six consecutive points off a timeout.
Ohio State, a tradition-laden program, reached the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight in 2022.
USF completed its weekend Gainesville sweep by defeating Southern Indiana (25-18, 25-21, 25-14).
“We’re beyond ecstatic to make such a big jump in our program,” Shepardson said. “The cool thing is we’re dealing with the pressure and our players are learning how to create pressure on our opponents. So much of what we’re dealing with now is that mental strength.”
Interestingly, USF began its season with a less-than-stellar performance at the Florida State Invitational in Tallahassee, getting swept in three consecutive matches (beginning with FSU and Georgia).
“We just got back in the gym and refocused on being ourselves … because we do have some talent in our gym,” Shepardson said. “We wanted to see things clearly in the moment and be able to create that pressure. We were like, ‘Let’s just go play like ourselves.’ Because that first weekend, unfortunately, we didn’t show up.”
The Bulls showed up in full force at Gainesville, which has always been a frustrating venue for USF players, including Shepardson (her final collegiate match was a back-and-forth four-set defeat against Florida in a 2002 NCAA Tournament second-round match).
Now the Bulls are brimming with confidence after dispatching the Gators, then defeating Ohio State with a spirited rally that left Shepardson in happy tears. That included a kick — yes, a kick — from USF’s Maria Clara Andrade during a crazy fourth-set rally that found an opening in Ohio State’s court for a kill.
Ally Cavanaugh, a Georgia transfer, had 45 kills during the weekend and was named American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week, while Caroline Dykes (133 assists) was named AAC Setter of the Week.
Shepardson also mentioned liberos Lia Schneider and Jazeli Vandenburgh, middle blockers Imani Hartfield and Tizi Puljiz, plus outside hitters Jalynn Brown and Naiya Sawtelle as players instrumental to USF’s memorable weekend.
Now it’s back to the Corral, where the Bulls were unbeaten last season as they earned a spot in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) tournament.
“My expectation is for us to again be ourselves,” Shepardson said. “I truly believe in every since one of our young men, their ability to compete, play good volleyball and create pressure on the opponent.
“The NIVC was a great experience for us, but our goal is the NCAA Tournament, to win our conference tournament and get that (NCAA) bid. That’s why we scheduled Florida State, Florida and all these big teams in our pre-conference, so we could be ready for that level when we get there. Once you get in the NCAA Tournament, you never know. It’s all about how you handle the pressure.”
It’s something the USF Bulls did very well during their unforgettable weekend in Gainesville.
UP NEXT
South Florida welcomes North Florida and N.C. State for the home opener. The Bulls will start the South Florida Invitational on Thursday at 6 p.m. with a match against North Florida. On Saturday, South Florida will face the N.C. State Wolfpack at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here.
About USF Volleyball
Head coach Jolene Shepardson enters her fifth season at the helm of her alma mater in 2024. 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. Earning the AAC East Division title in 2023, South Florida made a postseason appearance in the NIVC, winning three games and advancing to the Fab Four to mark the longest postseason run in program history. South Florida 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), located 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.
