USF Volleyball Dominates American Athletic Conference Awards (USF Athletics) TAMPA, Fla. - The University of South Florida volleyball team swept t
TAMPA, Fla. – The University of South Florida volleyball team swept the major awards in the American Athletic Conference, marking a significant achievement for the program.
Head coach Jolene Shepardson was named Coach of the Year, Maria Clara Andrade earned Player of the Year, and Caroline Dykes received Setter of the Year honors.
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Shepardson, who took over the volleyball program in 2020, orchestrated a remarkable turnaround, leading the Bulls to a regular-season conference title after winning just one conference match in 2021.
Shepardson was a senior on the USF volleyball team when the Bulls last won a conference championship in 2002.
Andrade, who earned her first Player of the Year honor, paced the South Florida offense. She led the American in kills (281), kills per set (4.68), points (314), and points per set (5.23) in conference play. Andrade has recorded double-digit kills in the last 21 matches and 20+ kills in four matches.
Earlier this season, she surpassed the 1,000-kill mark in her career.
Dykes was previously named the 2022 Southern Conference Setter of the Year prior to joining the Bulls. As the Bulls’ playmaker, Dykes paced the American with 659 assists, averaging 10.98 per set.
She became the 16th active DI setter to surpass the 4,000-assist mark. She also surpassed the 100 aces and 1,000 dig career milestones. For the second straight season, Dykes has recorded over 1,000 assists. She currently has 1,078 going into the conference tournament.
In addition to the major awards, senior Naiya Sawtelle was named to the All-Conference First Team, and sophomore Lia Schneider earned a spot on the Second Team.
This impressive showing at the conference awards sets the stage for the Bulls as they head into the AAC tournament with high expectations.
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