TAMPA, Fla. (September 2, 2026) – The University of South Florida volleyball team hits the road for two matchups in California. The Bulls will face two more teams that made the 2025 NCAA tournament and were ranked or receiving votes in the preseason poll. South Florida opens the trip with its second top-5 matchup in two weekends, taking on No. 4 Stanford on Thursday, Sept. 3, at 10 p.m. ET on ACCN+. After an off day on Friday, South Florida will meet Marquette at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 5.

The Bulls began the season 1-2 at the Bluegrass Battle. South Florida closed the weekend with a win over Utah State, which made the NCAA Tournament last season. Amelia Wass de Czege and Nina Jioshvili-Ravva each earned American Conference weekly honorable mention after a strong weekend. 

Wass de Czege made a strong impact at the net throughout South Florida’s opening weekend, totaling four kills and 15 blocks across three matches. She delivered her best defensive performance against No. 3 Kentucky, recording a team-high seven blocks and helping the Bulls challenge one of the nation’s top teams. Wass de Czege added three blocks in USF’s 3-0 sweep of Utah State, contributing to the Bulls’ 13 total blocks in the victory. Her 15 blocks led South Florida for the weekend, highlighting her ability to consistently disrupt opposing offenses at the net.

Jioshvili-Ravva delivered an impressive opening weekend for South Florida, totaling 103 assists across three matches and recording two double-doubles and a team-high 24 digs. She opened the season with a double-double against Eastern Kentucky, recording 45 assists and 10 digs while guiding the Bulls’ offense through a five-set battle. Jioshvili-Ravva followed with a strong performance against No. 3 Kentucky and closed the weekend with 34 assists in USF’s 3-0 sweep of Utah State. Her 103 assists, 24 digs and two double-doubles highlighted her all-around impact and ability to contribute both offensively and defensively throughout the opening weekend.

Elite Passers

Sofija Djordjevic and Ryelle Rondo ranked among the top eight in the NCAA for passing in the opening week. Djordjevic led the NCAA with a passer grade of 2.63, while Rondo finished the week tied for eighth in the country with a grade of 2.46.

Stout Blocking

South Florida ranks among the NCAA’s best in blocks. The Bulls are tied for 29th with 2.91 blocks per set. With 32 total blocks, USF is tied for 39th in the country. Amelia Wass de Czege is tied for 26th with 1.67 blocks per set.

Yaya Killing It

Iyanna Garvin is 29th in the nation with a hitting percentage of .487, which leads the American Conference.

Know the Foes

The Bulls and the Cardinal will meet for the first time in program history.

South Florida and Marquette will meet for the 22nd time on Saturday. The Bulls lead the series 11-10, but the Golden Eagles have won the past three matchups.

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About South Florida Volleyball

Head coach Jolene Shepardson enters her seventh season at the helm of her alma mater in 2026. Named head coach on January 8, 2020, as a player she helped lead the Bulls to two conference championships and a pair of NCAA tournament appearances. As head coach, she led the Bulls back to the NCAA Tournament in 2025 for the first time since she was a player in 2002 and guided USF to the 2024 AAC regular-season championship, earning her first Coach of the Year Honor. In 2023, the Bulls won the American Conference East Division, made a postseason appearance in the NIVC, and advanced to the Fab Four to mark the longest postseason run in program history.

South Florida Volleyball has won nine Player of the Year honors, most recently with Maria Clara Andrade winning American Conference honors in back-to-back years in 2024 and 2025. The Bulls have also earned four Setter of the Year honors, most recently with Caroline Dykes being recognized in 2024.

South Florida volleyball has made eight NCAA Tournament appearances and won 13 conference titles since the program’s inception in 1972. The Bulls play in The Corral (1,000), located adjacent to the Yuengling Center on the USF campus in Tampa.