Bulls compete in Seminole Invitational – The Oracle

The Bulls struggled to maintain their lead over the weekend, getting off to an 0-3 start. USF ATHLETICS PHOTO

USF Volleyball The American Athletic East Division championship race got off to an up-and-down start to the weekend.

In the first tournament of the season, Bulls The Seminole Invitational is winless, with losses to USF, 20th-ranked Florida State, 25th-ranked Georgia and UC Santa Barbara.

South Florida (0-3, 0-0 AAC) struggled to finish sets strong and blew leads of four or more points in each match.

Despite a disappointing start to the year, one player from South Florida reached a milestone in his career, while another earned All-Tournament Team honors.

Here’s a quick recap of how USF is starting its 2024 campaign:

Seminoles sweep Bulls in season opener

USF will begin play against tournament weekend host Florida State on Aug. 30.

The Bulls trailed 21-17 in the first set before going on a 4-0 run to tie the game, but FSU soon took control to win the set 25-22.

The Seminoles dominated the second set, outshooting the Bulls .519 to .065, and FSU then won 25-14.

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The third set was the first of many blown leads by South Florida over the weekend. The Bulls jumped out to an early 7-3 lead but couldn’t hold it. The Seminoles outscored USF 22-8 to win 25-15 and close out the series.

Sophomore spiker Maria Clara Andrade led her team in digs and points, scoring 8 and 8.5 points, respectively.

Cavanaugh shines against former team, but Bulls fall short

In the second game of the tournament, played on August 31, a Bulls player faced off against his former team.

Sophomore outside hitter Ally Cavanaugh put up big stats against her former school, Georgia, finishing with 11 points in three sets, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Bulls from getting swept for the second straight year.

Georgia dominated the first set from start to finish, winning 25-15. In the second set, the Bulls jumped out to an early 10-3 lead, including two aces by graduated outside hitter Naiya Sawtelle. The Bulldogs eventually found their form and fought back to win the set 25-20.

Cavanaugh had four of her 11 kills in the third set. Georgia opened the final set with a 14-8 lead, but a 13-7 run by the Bulls cut the game to three points at 24-21. USF’s recovery was short-lived as the Bulldogs won 25-21.

UCSB defeats Bulls in four sets

In the final match of the tournament on September 1, South Florida won its first set of the season.

The Bulls put on their best performance of the season after UCSB won the first two sets by scores of 25-19 and 25-21.

USF started the set strong, taking an 18-12 lead, but the Gauchos came back to tie it 24-24. The Bulls held on, winning the set 26-24 on an ace from junior libero Samiha Foster.

South Florida was unable to maintain momentum into the fourth set and lost 25-21.

There is a positive side among the losses

Despite the bumpy start to the year, there were also bright spots for several USF volleyball players.

Senior setter Caroline Dykes reached a career milestone over the weekend when she notched her 100th ace in her team’s one-set victory.

In three matches, Andrade recorded 33 kills for South Florida, including 19 in the final match against UCSB. For her efforts, she was named to the Seminole Invitational All-Tournament Team.

Look ahead

The Bulls will aim to get back on track when they travel to Gainesville for the Gator Tournament on Friday.

USF will again face three teams, the first of which is No. 10 Florida. The Gators enter the game with an unbeaten 3-0 record and most recently swept Michigan State on Friday.

After UF, South Florida will face Ohio State on Saturday and then Southern Indiana on Sunday. The Buckeyes enter the tournament at 2-0, while the Screaming Eagles sit at 2-1.