South Florida Bulls beach volleyball

Last updated
South Florida Bulls beach volleyball
Southflorida wordmark 2022.png
Founded2026
University University of South Florida
Athletic director Michael Kelly
Head coachPri Piantadosi-Lima (1st season)
Conference CUSA
Location Tampa, Florida
Nickname Bulls

The South Florida Bulls beach volleyball team will represent the University of South Florida in the sport of women's beach volleyball at the NCAA National Collegiate level [a] beginning in spring 2026. In June 2023 USF hired Pri Piantadosi-Lima as the team's first ever head coach. [1]

Contents

Because the Bulls main conference, the American Athletic Conference, does not sponsor the sport of beach volleyball, the team will play as members of Conference USA. [2] The Bulls will play their home games on campus, with a new three court facility set to be built on the north side of the Yuengling Center before their first season. [3] [4]

History

The team was first announced in February 2022 and will become the university's 21st varsity sports team (and 12th women's team) when they begin play in spring 2026. [3] [5] The team was originally scheduled to start in 2025 but was postponed to 2026 in June 2023. [6] At the time of the team's founding, beach volleyball was the newest NCAA sport and was sponsored by 86 teams across the NCAA's three divisions. [7] [8] NCAA beach volleyball championships are competed at the National Collegiate level rather than division levels like most NCAA sports, meaning that Division I, II, and III schools all compete directly against each other.

Pri Piantadosi-Lima was hired as the first head coach on June 6, 2023. She previously helped lead Eckerd College to an AVCA National Championship as an assistant coach. [1]

On November 5, 2024, USF athletic director Michael Kelly announced that the team would play as members of Conference USA. [2]

See also

Notes

  1. "National Collegiate" means that NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division III schools all compete against each other directly instead of being separated into divisions. USF is a member of Division I for all other NCAA sports.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conference USA</span> US college sports conference

Conference USA (CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference of member institutions in the Southern and Western United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. CUSA's offices are located in Dallas, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NCAA men's volleyball tournament</span> Annual volleyball competition

The NCAA men's volleyball tournament, officially titled the NCAA national collegiate men's volleyball championship, is an annual competition that determines the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship in American college men's volleyball. It had been the only NCAA championship in the sport from 1970 until 2012, when the NCAA launched a Division III championship.

The South Florida Bulls football team represents the University of South Florida (USF). The Bulls began playing in 1997 and compete in the American Athletic Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The team plays its home games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Starting in 2027, the Bulls will host home games at a new $340 million on-campus stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Florida Bulls</span> University of South Florida athletic team

The South Florida Bulls are the athletic teams that represent the University of South Florida. USF competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the American Athletic Conference for all sports besides sailing, a non-NCAA sanctioned varsity sport which competes in the South Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association within the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association. Additionally, the school will become an affiliate member of Conference USA in the sport of beach volleyball beginning in 2025 because the American Athletic Conference does not sponsor the sport. The current athletic director is Michael Kelly, who has held the job since 2018. The school colors are green and gold and the mascot is Rocky D. Bull.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College lacrosse</span> Lacrosse played by student athletes in North America

College lacrosse is played by student-athletes at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. In both countries, men's field lacrosse and women's lacrosse are played at both the varsity and club levels. College lacrosse in Canada is sponsored by the Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association (CUFLA) and Maritime University Field Lacrosse League (MUFLL), while in the United States, varsity men's and women's lacrosse is governed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). There are also university lacrosse programs in the United Kingdom sponsored by British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) and programs in Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tampa Spartans</span> Athletic teams representing the University of Tampa, located in Tampa, Florida

The Tampa Spartans are the athletic teams that represent the University of Tampa, located in Tampa, Florida, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Spartans compete as members of the Sunshine State Conference for all sports besides beach volleyball and track and field, which compete as independents. Tampa has been a member of the conference since 1981.

The South Florida Bulls men's basketball team represents the University of South Florida in NCAA Division I basketball competition, where they are currently a member of the American Athletic Conference. Ben Fletcher is the interim head coach after Amir Abdur-Rahim died unexpectedly. The Bulls play their home games at the 10,500 seat Yuengling Center on USF's campus in Tampa, Florida. USF has won two conference championships and has reached the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament 3 times in their history, with their best finish coming in 2012 when they made the round of 32.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Virginia Knights</span> Athletic teams representing Southern Virginia University

The Southern Virginia Knights are the athletic teams that represent Southern Virginia University, located in Buena Vista, Virginia, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the Division III level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the USA South Athletic Conference for most of its sports since the 2021–22 academic year; while its men's volleyball team competes in the Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Florida Bulls softball</span> College softball team

The South Florida Bulls softball team represents University of South Florida in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the American Athletic Conference. The Bulls are currently led by head coach Ken Eriksen. The team plays its home games at USF Softball Stadium located on the university's main campus in Tampa, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship</span> American collegiate-level womens tournament

The NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship is an NCAA-sanctioned tournament to determine the national champions of collegiate women's beach volleyball. It is a National Collegiate Championship featuring teams from Division I, Division II and Division III, and is the 90th, and newest, NCAA championship event. It was the first new NCAA championship to be created since the NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Championship in 2012, and the first for women since the NCAA Bowling Championship in 2004.

The South Florida Bulls women's soccer team represents the University of South Florida in the sport of soccer. The Bulls currently compete in the American Athletic Conference within Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The Bulls play in Corbett Stadium along with USF's men's soccer team, which opened in 2011. Prior to that, they played at what is now the USF Track and Field Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia State Panthers women's beach volleyball</span>

The Georgia State Panthers women's beach volleyball team represents Georgia State University in the sport of beach volleyball. The Panthers compete in NCAA Division I as a member of Conference USA (C-USA). The Panthers play their home matches at the GSU Sand Volleyball Complex on the university's Atlanta campus, and are currently led by head coach Beth Van Fleet.

The South Florida Bulls women's basketball team represents the University of South Florida in women's basketball. The Bulls compete in the American Athletic Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Bulls play home basketball games at the Yuengling Center. South Florida is coached by Jose Fernandez, who has been with the Bulls since the 2000–01 season. USF has made the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament nine times in their history and won the Women's National Invitation Tournament in 2009. They have won three conference championships, taking the regular season American Athletic Conference title in 2021 and 2023 and the AAC tournament crown in 2021.

The South Florida Bulls track and field program represents the University of South Florida in the sport of track and field. The program consists of separate men's and women's teams and competes in the American Athletic Conference within NCAA Division I. Both of the Bulls track and field teams are coached by Erik Jenkins, who also coaches the USF cross country teams. The teams practice and host outdoor meets at the USF Track and Field Stadium. While the university sponsors indoor teams as well, the university does not have an indoor track facility suitable to host meets. There is an indoor track in the Campus Recreation Center which the teams use for practice, but it has no space for indoor field events or spectators.

The South Florida Bulls cross country program represents the University of South Florida in the sport of cross country. The program consists of separate men's and women's teams and competes in the American Athletic Conference within NCAA Division I. Both of the Bulls cross country teams are coached by Erik Jenkins, who is also the director of the Bulls track and field teams. The cross country and track and field teams as a whole are directed by Erik Jenkins, who served as head coach from The teams practice and host meets at both the USF Track and Field Stadium and The Claw golf course.

The South Florida Bulls volleyball team represents the University of South Florida in the sport of women's volleyball. The Bulls compete in the American Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I. The team plays their home games at The Corral inside the Yuengling Center on USF's campus in Tampa, Florida. They are coached by Jolene Shepardson who was hired after the 2019 season. The Bulls have reached seven NCAA women's volleyball tournaments and won a combined 18 regular season and tournament conference championships in their history, the most of any women's team at USF.

The South Florida Bulls golf program represents the University of South Florida in the sport of golf. The program consists of separate men's and women's teams and competes in the American Athletic Conference within NCAA Division I. The Bulls men's golf team is coached by Steve Bradley and the women's team is coached by Erika Brennan. They host meets at The Claw golf course adjacent to USF's campus in Tampa, Florida.

The South Florida Bulls lacrosse team will represent the University of South Florida in the sport of women's lacrosse beginning in spring 2025. They will compete in the American Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I. The Bulls will play their home games at Corbett Stadium on USF's Tampa campus, which they will share with the USF men's and women's soccer teams. It is the university's newest varsity sports team and the first new USF team since football was established in 1997. It will be the first new women's team in an NCAA sport at USF since women's soccer in 1995.

References

  1. 1 2 "Pri Piantadosi-Lima Named First Head Coach of USF Beach Volleyball". USF Athletics. 2023-06-29. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
  2. 1 2 "USF BEACH VOLLEYBALL JOINS CONFERENCE USA". USF Athletics. 2024-11-03. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
  3. 1 2 "USF to Add Women's Beach Volleyball in 2024-25". USF Athletics. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  4. "Beach Volleyball". www.gousfbullsmp.com. Retrieved 2022-09-05.
  5. Camargo, Alberto (2022-02-02). "USF Athletics announces addition of women's beach volleyball". The Oracle. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  6. "USF Beach Volleyball To Begin Competition in 2025-26 Season". USF Athletics. 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
  7. "NCAA Division II and Division III membership approves Sand Volleyball as 90th championship".
  8. "NCAA Directory - Directory - Member Listing". web3.ncaa.org. Retrieved 2022-02-14.