USF beach volleyball to begin exhibition play this month
USF’s beach volleyball program is set to start its exhibition schedule less than two weeks from now, playing against ranked teams such as USC and UCLA.
The program, which is still in its infancy stages, has yet to play a game. It was announced back in 2022 alongside lacrosse in an effort to expand women’s sports in USF.
Head coach Pri Piantadosi-Lima was hired as the first beach volleyball coach in June 2023.
Piantadosi-Lima already has high ambitions for the team as they approach their first exhibition matches.
“My goal is to make Bulls Beach nationally known,” Piantadosi-Lima said in an interview with USF Athletics. “Not only for our athletic success, but for the type of culture and character our teams will have.”
Related: USF announces first head coach of beach volleyball team
Piantadosi-Lima was a successful member of the Brazilian National Volleyball Team in the late 2000s, winning six South American championships for her home country. She is also the head coach for USA Volleyball’s development team.
The Bulls are poised to compete as a D1 NCAA beach volleyball team in the 2025-26 season. Until then, South Florida will compete in exhibitions as a club team in the AVCA.
The Bulls will begin with the Atlanta AVCA Beach Pairs Qualifier (East) on Oct. 12-13.
There, USF will play against the likes of Stetson and Georgia State. This will be the new program’s first matches against NCAA-level talent.
On Oct. 18-20, USF will make the trip to Manhattan Beach, California for the AVCA Beach Pairs Qualifier. This tournament will include ranked teams in the Western U.S. such as USC, UCLA and Stanford.
The following week, USF will return to Tampa for the Bulls Beach Bash on Oct. 26-27. Teams from across Florida, such as FIU and FGCU, will compete.
On Nov. 2-3, USF will close out their exhibition schedule in Tavares, Florida in a continuation of the AVCA Beach Pairs Qualifying play.
Related: USF certifies women’s lacrosse team as 20th varsity sport – The Oracle
The sport will become USF’s 21st varsity sport once it’s certified by the Board of Trustees. Women’s lacrosse became the 20th when it was approved in September.
Three new beach volleyball courts will be constructed near the Yuengling Center in time for the start of the 2025-26 regular season.
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