South Florida Bulls volleyball

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South Florida Bulls volleyball
Southflorida wordmark 2022.png
Founded1972;52 years ago (1972)
University University of South Florida
Athletic director Michael Kelly
Head coachJolene Shepardson (4th season)
Conference The American
Location Tampa, Florida
Home arena The Corral (capacity: 1,000)
Nickname Bulls
ColorsGreen and gold [1]
   
AIAW/NCAA Tournament appearance
1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002
Conference tournament champion
1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1995, 1996, 2002
Conference regular season champion
1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2002

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.

Contents

History

Like many women's sports teams in colleges across the country, the USF women's volleyball team was founded in 1972 after the passing of Title IX. The NCAA did not sponsor women's sports at the time, so the Lady Brahmans as they were known until 1987 played in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) Small College Division (equivalent to NCAA Division II) for their first year and the AIAW Large College Division (equivalent to NCAA Division I) from 1973 until the association dissolved after the spring of 1982. [2]

The Brahmans played as independents as members of the AIAW, as well as during their first year in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). They joined USF's men's teams in the Sun Belt Conference before their 1983 season, and they won their first conference championship that year. [3]

The program was very successful in the years directly after they joined the NCAA. In the first 21 seasons after the AIAW's collapse, USF won all of their 11 regular season conference titles and seven conference tournaments, as well as making each of their seven NCAA women's volleyball tournament appearances. They have also made the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (formerly called the Women's Invitational Volleyball Championship) four times, including a quarterfinal appearance in 1994 and semifinal appearance in 2023.

In 1995 the team moved from the old USF Gymnasium, where it had called home since the team was founded in 1972, to The Corral, a volleyball-specific area within the Yuengling Center with a capacity of about 1,000. [4] The Bulls also play some home games on the main floor of the Yuengling Center (used for the men's and women's basketball teams), particularly rivalry games and games against ranked opponents.

The Bulls have not seen much success recently and have not won a conference championship or reached the NCAA Tournament since 2002, though they won the AAC East Division in 2023. [3] [5]

Season by season results

YearConferenceGames playedRecordWin percentageConference recordHead coachPostseason
1972Independent (AIAW Small College Division)1810–8.556N/AJanie Cheatham
1973Independent (AIAW Large College Division)3220–12.625
19742315–8.652
19753019–11.633
19763216–16.500Cyndi Miranda
19774225–17.595Kathy Patrick
1978329–23.281Rich Romine
19794219–23.452Mary Beth Hood
(first 30 games; 15–15)
Hildred Deese
(final 12 games; 4–8)
19803514–21.400Hildred Deese
19813823–13–2.632
1982Independent (NCAA Division I)3517–18.486
1983 Sun Belt Conference 4222–20.5247–2
19843826–12.68413–2Debbie Richardson
19854426–18.59111–3
19864734–13.72310–0
19875029–21.58011–5
19883525–10.7149–1
19894122–19.5378–1 WIVC (first round)
19904218–24.4296–5
1991 Metro Conference 3518–17.5143–3Perry Hankins
19922715–12.5564–2
19933023–7.7676–0 NCAA (first round)
19943728–9.7575–1 NIVC (quarterfinal)
1995 Conference USA 3227–5.84411–1 NCAA (first round)
19963227–5.84413–1 NCAA (first round)
19973526–9.74315–1 NCAA (second round)
19983325–8.75813–3 NCAA (first round)
19993315–18.4557–9Nancy Mueller
20003428–6.82415–1 NCAA (first round)
20013021–9.70013–3
20023730–7.81112–1 NCAA (second round)
20033212–20.3756–7
2004299–20.3105–8Claire Lessinger
2005 Big East 264–22.1541–13
20062912–17.4147–7
20072919–10.6558–6
20083117–14.5487–7
20092818–10.6439–5
20102810–18.3576–8
20112812–16.4297–7
20123217–15.5317–8Courtney Draper
2013 American Athletic Conference 3217–15.53111–7
20143214–18.4388–12
20153211–21.3448–12
20163219–13.59410–10
20173012–18.4007–13
20183220–12.6259–9 NIVC (first round)
2019307–23.2331–15
2020146–8.4293–5Jolene Shepardson
2021317–24.2261–19
20223010–20.3334–14
20233422–12.64713–6NIVC (semifinal)
Total1714951–761–2.555330–24311 Appearances
Bold indicates tournament won
Italics indicate Conference Championship

[3]

USF Athletic Hall of Fame

Two former volleyball players are members of the University of South Florida Athletic Hall of Fame. Michelle Collier played from 1998 to 2002, owns seven school records, and has her number 10 jersey hanging from the rafters in The Corral. She was inducted in 2011. [6] Erika Berggren played from 1993–96 and was named conference player of the year twice. She was inducted in 2022. [7]

Media

Under the current American Athletic Conference TV deal, all home and in-conference away volleyball games are shown on one of the various ESPN networks or streamed live on ESPN+. [8] Live radio broadcasts of games are also available worldwide for free on the Bulls Unlimited digital radio station on TuneIn. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<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">UCF Knights</span> Athletic program of the University of Central Florida

The UCF Knights are the athletic teams that represent the University of Central Florida in unincorporated Orange County, Florida near Orlando. The Knights participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I as a member of the Big 12 Conference. Since men's soccer is not sponsored by the Big 12, they play in the Sun Belt Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War on I-4</span> Rivalry between the South Florida Bulls and UCF Knights

The War on I-4 is a college rivalry between the University of Central Florida Knights and University of South Florida Bulls. The rivalry is best known for its college football matchup which originated in a series of football games played from 2005 to 2008 and now takes place on Thanksgiving weekend, the de facto "rivalry weekend" for FBS football. From 2013 to 2023, when both schools were part of the American Athletic Conference, the schools began competing annually in all sports both schools sponsored. In 2016, the schools officially adopted the "War on I-4" as an official competition series. Each year, the team with the most wins across all sports receives a gold trophy styled after an Interstate 4 (I-4) road sign with the logos of each school. The winner of the annual football game also receives a similar trophy.

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">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.

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.

The 2015–16 South Florida Bulls women's basketball team represented the University of South Florida in the 2015–16 NCAA Division I basketball season. The Bulls, coached by Jose Fernandez in his sixteenth season, played their home games at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida. This was USF's third season as a member of the American Athletic Conference, known as The American or AAC. They finished the season 24–10, 14–4 in AAC play to finish in second place. They advanced to the championship game of the American Athletic Conference women's tournament for the second year in a row, where they lost to Connecticut again. They received at-large bid to the NCAA women's tournament, where they defeated Colorado State in the first round before losing to UCLA in the second round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jose Fernandez (basketball)</span>

Jose Luis Fernandez is the head coach of the University of South Florida women's basketball team, starting in 2000.

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 2018–19 South Florida Bulls women's basketball team represented the University of South Florida in the 2018–19 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Bulls, coached by Jose Fernandez in his nineteenth season, played their home games at Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida. This was USF's sixth season as a member of the American Athletic Conference, known as The American or AAC. They finished the season 19–16, 7–9 in AAC play to finish in a tie for fifth place. They advanced to the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference women's tournament, where they lost to Connecticut. They received at-large bid to the WNIT, where they defeated Stetson in the first round before losing to James Madison in the second round.

The 2019–20 South Florida Bulls men's basketball team represented the University of South Florida during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The season marked the 48th basketball season for USF, the seventh as a member of the American Athletic Conference, and the third season under head coach Brian Gregory. The Bulls played their home games at Yuengling Center on the university's Tampa, Florida campus.

The 2019–20 South Florida Bulls women's basketball team represented the University of South Florida in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Bulls were coached by Jose Fernandez in his twentieth season and played their home games at Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida. This was USF's seventh season as a member of the American Athletic Conference, known as The American or AAC. They finished the season 18–12, 10–6 in AAC play to finish in fourth place. They advanced to the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference women's tournament, where they lost to Connecticut.

The 2020–21 South Florida Bulls men's basketball team represented the University of South Florida during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The season marked the 49th basketball season for USF, the eighth as a member of the American Athletic Conference, and the fourth season under head coach Brian Gregory. The Bulls play their home games at Yuengling Center on the university's Tampa, Florida campus. The season ended on March 12, 2021 with a 68–67 loss to regular season conference champion Wichita State in the second round of the AAC tournament.

The University of South Florida athletic facilities are the stadiums and arenas the South Florida Bulls use for their home games and training. The University of South Florida currently sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and has 11 facilities in the designated Athletics District on or adjacent to its Tampa campus, one on its St. Petersburg campus, and one elsewhere in Tampa. 18 of the 19 teams have some sort of facility in the USF Athletics District.

The 2020–21 South Florida Bulls women's basketball team represented the University of South Florida during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The season marked the 48th women's basketball season for USF, the eighth as a member of the American Athletic Conference, and the 21st under head coach Jose Fernandez. The Bulls played their home games at Yuengling Center on the university's Tampa, Florida campus. The 2020–21 team was the first in USF women's basketball history to win a regular season conference championship, doing so on March 2, 2021 with a win against rival Central Florida. Nine days later they beat Central Florida again to win their first ever conference tournament. Despite their 18–3 record being one of the best in the nation and being ranked 19th in the AP Poll at the time of selection, the Bulls were selected as the eighth seed in the Mercado Region of the 2021 NCAA tournament. Their season ended on March 23, 2021 with the Bulls losing to No. 1 seed NC State in the Round of 32.

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 tennis program represents the University of South Florida in the sport of tennis. 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 tennis team is coached by Ashley Fisher and the women's team is coached by Cristina Moros. Both teams play their home matches at the USF Varsity Tennis Courts on USF's campus in Tampa, Florida.

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 beginning in spring 2026. In June 2023 USF hired Pri Piantadosi-Lima as the team's first ever head coach.

The 2022–23 South Florida Bulls women's basketball team represented the University of South Florida in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Bulls, coached by Jose Fernandez in his 23rd season, played their home games at Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida. This is USF's tenth season as a member of the American Athletic Conference, known as The American or AAC.

The 2023–24 South Florida Bulls women's basketball team represented the University of South Florida during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Bulls, led by 24th-year head coach Jose Fernandez, played their home games at Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida as members of the American Athletic Conference.

References

  1. ↑ USF Athletics Brand Guide (PDF). August 18, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  2. ↑ Hosick, Michelle (January 28, 2011). "When equal opportunity knocks". NCAA.org. Archived from the original on 31 January 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 "2019 USF VB Media Guide (PDF)" (PDF). USF Athletics. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  4. ↑ "The Corral". USF Athletics. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  5. ↑ "USF Volleyball Clinches East Division Title with Sweep Over Owls". USF Athletics. 2023-11-17. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  6. ↑ "Michelle Collier (2011) - USF Athletic Hall of Fame". USF Athletics. Archived from the original on 2020-06-24. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
  7. ↑ "Erica Berggren (2022) - USF Athletic Hall of Fame". USF Athletics. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  8. ↑ "AAC, ESPN Agree To 12-Year Media-Rights Deal Worth $1B". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. Retrieved 2022-11-13.
  9. ↑ "Bulls Unlimited". USF Athletics. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
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