USF Volleyball Receives National Invitational Volleyball Championship Bid

After reaching the 20-win mark for the first time since 2002, the USF volleyball team accepted an at-large bid to compete in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship.

The Bulls (20-11, 9-9 AAC) will head to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech this Thursday night at 7 p.m. to open the 32-team invitational.

The Yellow Jackets (17-14, 6-12 ACC) are coached by USF grad Michelle Collier, who is one of the greatest collegiate volleyball players of all-time.

Collier, a two-time Conference USA Player of the Year and a 2002 All-American at USF, holds the top spot in USF history in two career categories (kills and digs) and set three single-season marks during the 2000 season. She led the Bulls’ to three of the program’s seven NCAA Tournament appearances.

Making their second-ever trip to the NIVC, the Bulls are joined by the College of Charleston (21-11) and St. John’s (23-11) in the Atlanta bracket.

Sophomore middle blocker Jaeden Brown led the American Athletic Conference this season with 139 blocks, while junior transfer Jac’cara Walker finished with a team-high 360 kills and 14 double-doubles.

This also marks the first postseason berth for seventh-year head coach Courtney Draper, who reached 100 wins at the helm earlier this season.

Should the Bulls advance, the third round will be December 5-7 followed by the semifinals December 7-9 and the NIVC Championship match on Tuesday, December 11.