South Florida Bulls volleyball
Founded1972
UniversityUniversity of South Florida
Athletic directorMichael Kelly
Head coachJolene Shepardson (4th season)
ConferenceThe American
LocationTampa, Florida
Home arenaThe Corral (capacity: 1,000)
NicknameBulls
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.

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

Year Conference Games played Record Win percentage Conference record Head coach Postseason
1972 Independent (AIAW Small College Division) 18 10–8 .556 N/A Janie Cheatham
1973 Independent (AIAW Large College Division) 32 20–12 .625
1974 23 15–8 .652
1975 30 19–11 .633
1976 32 16–16 .500 Cyndi Miranda
1977 42 25–17 .595 Kathy Patrick
1978 32 9–23 .281 Rich Romine
1979 42 19–23 .452 Mary Beth Hood
(first 30 games; 15–15)
Hildred Deese
(final 12 games; 4–8)
1980 35 14–21 .400 Hildred Deese
1981 38 23–13–2 .632
1982 Independent (NCAA Division I) 35 17–18 .486
1983 Sun Belt Conference 42 22–20 .524 7–2
1984 38 26–12 .684 13–2 Debbie Richardson
1985 44 26–18 .591 11–3
1986 47 34–13 .723 10–0
1987 50 29–21 .580 11–5
1988 35 25–10 .714 9–1
1989 41 22–19 .537 8–1 WIVC (first round)
1990 42 18–24 .429 6–5
1991 Metro Conference 35 18–17 .514 3–3 Perry Hankins
1992 27 15–12 .556 4–2
1993 30 23–7 .767 6–0 NCAA (first round)
1994 37 28–9 .757 5–1 NIVC (quarterfinal)
1995 Conference USA 32 27–5 .844 11–1 NCAA (first round)
1996 32 27–5 .844 13–1 NCAA (first round)
1997 35 26–9 .743 15–1 NCAA (second round)
1998 33 25–8 .758 13–3 NCAA (first round)
1999 33 15–18 .455 7–9 Nancy Mueller
2000 34 28–6 .824 15–1 NCAA (first round)
2001 30 21–9 .700 13–3
2002 37 30–7 .811 12–1 NCAA (second round)
2003 32 12–20 .375 6–7
2004 29 9–20 .310 5–8 Claire Lessinger
2005 Big East 26 4–22 .154 1–13
2006 29 12–17 .414 7–7
2007 29 19–10 .655 8–6
2008 31 17–14 .548 7–7
2009 28 18–10 .643 9–5
2010 28 10–18 .357 6–8
2011 28 12–16 .429 7–7
2012 32 17–15 .531 7–8 Courtney Draper
2013 American Athletic Conference 32 17–15 .531 11–7
2014 32 14–18 .438 8–12
2015 32 11–21 .344 8–12
2016 32 19–13 .594 10–10
2017 30 12–18 .400 7–13
2018 32 20–12 .625 9–9 NIVC (first round)
2019 30 7–23 .233 1–15
2020 14 6–8 .429 3–5 Jolene Shepardson
2021 31 7–24 .226 1–19
2022 30 10–20 .333 4–14
2023 34 22–12 .647 13–6 NIVC (semifinal)
Total 1714 951–761–2 .555 330–243 11 Appearances
Bold indicates tournament won
Italics indicate Conference Championship

[3]

USF Athletic Hall of Fame

Main article: University of South Florida 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

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. ^ a b c "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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