USF Volleyball’s American Athletic East Division title defense got off to a rocky start over the weekend. 

In its first tournament of the season, the Bulls were unable to capture a win in the Seminole Invitational. USF lost against No. 20 Florida State, No. 25 Georgia and UC Santa Barbara.

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

Despite the disappointing start to the year, one South Florida player hit a career milestone, while another walked away with All-Tournament Team honors.

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

Seminoles sweep Bulls in season opener

To begin play, USF took on Florida State, the host of the weekend’s tournament, on Aug. 30.

In the first set, the Bulls found themselves down 21-17 before a 4-0 run tied the match. FSU took control shortly after, taking the set 25-22.

The Seminoles dominated set two, out-hitting the Bulls .519 to .065. FSU went on to win 25-14.

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Set three was the first of multiple occurrences of blown leads for South Florida over the weekend. The Bulls jumped to an early 7-3 lead but could not hold it. The Seminoles outscored USF 22-8 the rest of the way, winning 25-15 and completing the sweep.

Sophomore outside hitter Maria Clara Andrade led the team in digs and points, finishing with 8 and 8.5, respectively.

Cavanaugh shines against former team, but Bulls come up short

The second match of the invitational on Aug. 31 featured a Bulls player facing her former team. 

Sophomore outside hitter Ally Cavanaugh put up big stats against her former school, Georgia. She finished with 11 kills across three sets, but it wasn’t enough for the Bulls to avoid a second consecutive sweep.

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Georgia dominated set one from start to finish, winning 25-15. Set two saw the Bulls get out to an early 10-3 lead, including two aces by graduate outside hitter Naiya Sawtelle. The Bulldogs eventually found their form, battling back to take the set 25-20.

In set three, Cavanaugh registered four of her 11 kills. Georgia started the last set 14-8, but a 13-7 run by the Bulls put the game within 3 at 24-21. USF’s rally would fall short as the Bulldogs went on to win 25-21.

UCSB downs Bulls in four sets

The last match of the tournament on Sept. 1 featured South Florida winning its first set of the season.

After UCSB won the first two sets, by scores of 25-19 and 25-21, the Bulls put together their best performance of the season.

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

South Florida couldn’t carry the momentum into set four, dropping it 25-21.

Silver lining amongst the losses

Despite the rocky start to the year, there were bright spots for a couple of USF volleyball players.

Senior setter Caroline Dykes hit a career milestone, recording her 100th ace in the team’s lone set win of the weekend.

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

Looking ahead

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

USF will again face three teams, starting with No.10 Florida. The Gators entered the game undefeated at 3-0, most recently sweeping Michigan State in their match on Friday.

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