USF Volleyball Takes on Wisconsin to Open the 2012 Season

Time to turn it up, volleyball season is here!

Volleyball is back!  The USF Bulls, after going 12-16 (7-7) last season, usher in a new era with new head coach Courtney Draper taking the helm and get to return to the Corral after playing all their home games last season in the Rec Center.

The Bulls will begin the 2012 season with a short 3-game tournament, the USF Invitational, to get the season started. Getting the chance to start the year at home  (on the road last season) will give the ladies a chance to get a few wins to start the campaign, but it won't be easy.  The Bulls face Wisconsin in the first game of the tournament (game begins at 7PM).

The Badgers beat the Bulls 3 sets to nothing last season, sweeping USF.  Wisconsin finished 2011 with a record of 16-16 (8-12 in the Big 10).  They lost just 1 starter from last year's squad and return 5 to the starting lineup (13 returning players that saw action last season).  So the ladies will have a tough first game to begin in 2012.

The Bulls did not have much going in the game against Wisconsin last year.  Kayla Walton had 6 kills and 1 dig. Valerie El Houssine had 7 kills and 5 digs and J'beria Davis had 4 digs and 1 service ace.  It was a quiet game for the Bulls as they struggled to get a strong counter attack going in the game. With a young team this year, it will be key for the veteran players to lead the way and get the attack going early, especially against a familiar foe.

Wisconsin returns a star studded team for this season. Sophomore setter/outside hitter Courtney Thomas (6-0) was named All Big Ten freshmen last season after playing in 117 sets, totaling 229 kills, 659 assists, 16 service aces, 302 digs and 77 blocks.  Against the Bulls, she totaled 5 kills, 19 assists and had 13 digs, so she will be an active player to watch for. Junior defender/liberio Annemarie Hickey (5-8) finished 2011 with 73 assists, 38 service aces, and 558 digs and totaled 17 digs against the Bulls, stopping any kill attempts by the USF front line.  Senior middleblocker Alexis Mitchell (6-0) totaled 225 kills, 8 service aces, 40 digs, and 11 blocks last season and added 12 kills and 2 digs against the Bulls.  Junior middleblocker Dominique Thompson (5-11) totaled 178 kills last season including 10 service aces, 40 digs, and 83 blocks and tallied 11 kills and 3 service aces against the Bulls (just another weapon to watch out for in this first game).  Sophomore outside hitter Ellen Chapman (6-4) was also named Big East All Freshmen team after totaling 311 kills and 166 digs and had 9 kills and 2 digs against the Bulls.  Sophomore outside hitter Crystal Graff (6-3) had 166 kills, 9 service aces, and 140 digs last season as a reserve and totaled 4 kills and 6 digs against USF.  Finally senior outside hitter Bailey Reshel (6-0) had 114 kills and 22 digs last season as a reserve and should see playing time against the Bulls in this opening game.

So what can the Bulls expect in this first game?  It will be a new setting as they return to the Corral for the first time in a year and a new era with Draper on the sidelines instead of Coach Lessinger.  The Bulls have a really young team and many will be rotating in for their first collegiate game, so it will be up to the veterans like El Houssine, Walton, Albano, Davis, Rodriguez Gomez to lead by example on the court and anchor the team as they freshmen get into the mix as well.  A first win here would help Draper get settled and would help the team gain early momentum not only in the season, but for this tough beginning tournament of the season.