USF volleyball’s season came to a close on Saturday after a 3-1 loss to Tulsa in the semifinals of the American Conference Tournament.
The Bulls (17-12, 12-4 American) were coming off a tournament-opening trouncing of Charlotte on Friday, in which they won in four sets.
Going into the tournament, the Bulls sat as the second seed after picking up only four losses in conference play.
Entering the championship on Sunday at 1 p.m., No. 1-seeded Rice will face the No. 3-seeded Golden Hurricanes in the Corral.
USF struck early and often against the 49ers (17-12, 8-8 American) on Friday — recording 73 kills.
South Florida was led by senior outside hitter Maria Clara Andrade, who recorded 21 kills.
Andrarade, who was the American Conference player of the year in 2024, has been a force for USF throughout the 2025 season – leading the American Conference in points and kills.
Yet, against Charlotte, the spotlight was placed upon sophomore Raegan Richardson, who recorded 59 assists in the match.
Richardson said her stat line could be credited to her ability to take the moments as they come.
“Our team goal in the match is to stay in the present,” Richardson said in a post-game press conference. “We were just taking it point by point.”
USF had four players record more than 10 kills — Andrade, Laila Ivey, Arianna Beckham and Imani Hartfield.
Richardson said the Bulls’ versatility helped her find assists.
“I felt like I could set anyone [for] game point and we would win,” Richardson said.
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Yet, South Florida’s dominance was short-lived when facing Tulsa – a team that had faltered in conference play despite an impressive out-of-conference showing in 2025.
The Golden Hurricanes (24-6, 12-4 American) came into the bout with USF hot, fresh off a six-game winning streak – including a win over FAU in the American Conference first round.
Though Andrade and Richardson were factors, the Golden Hurricanes’ reactive defense hurt the Bulls’ effectiveness on the court.
Andrade recorded just 18 kills, while Richardson’s assist totals dipped to 42 in the bout.
On the Golden Hurricanes side, six players recorded more than five kills – with Lauren Eitler leading the charge with 12.
The Bulls’ season comes to an end on the back of head coach Jolene Shepardson’s fifth season at the helm.
In 2024, USF won a regular-season American Conference title before falling in a similar fashion – with a 3-0 loss to Wichita State in the semifinals.
USF Athletics did not allow for media access after the Bulls loss to Tulsa.
