USF Bulls Volleyball

Our totally being in the tank for USF Volleyball is so cool sometimes, and today is one of those days we love. Sophomore Erin Fairs was named AAC Player of The Year today, the first conference MVP for the Bulls since Michelle Collier in 2002. Fairs came on our radio show earlier this season and talked about wanting to win this award, and her incredible improvement from freshman to sophomore year was rewarded with the nod. What separated her from the competition is the ability to be so effective in all six rotations, averaging a ridiculous-for-an-outside-hitter 4.41 digs per set as well as 3.73 kills. Did we mention she's just a sophomore?? Are you kidding?? Her ceiling is to be one of the best players in USF history, and it'll be fun to watch her climb the lists. Also a big congrats to Andrea Rodriguez-Gomez, who caps off her career with a First Team All-AAC nod. 'Dre was one of our favorite kids ever, and her smile is so bright the university put it on a billboard. The story of her family's journey to America after being political refugees from Chavez's Venezuela is amazing, and they should be incredibly proud of her both on and off the floor. She leaves USF after averaging 1.53 blocks per set and hitting .294 her senior year. Dre's engaged and moving back to Miami, and we'll miss her general goofy-ditziness in The Corral. She was the rare kid that could light up a room and a scoreboard, and it's been so much fun to watch her grow. She was also the only senior on this USF team, one that inked five kids on early signing day. The future looks bright for a team should be picked at or near the top of the league in 2014.

It was an up and down season for USF Volleyball with the later-than-usual transition to new head coach Courtney Draper. But the team certainly finished strong, winning three of their last four to make it to the Big East Tournament. And these two players return next year as the projected starters on each pin for a team that will enter 2013 with high expectations. Fairs is becoming a dynamic 6 rotation player, and Walton hits as hard a ball as any right side in the league, using her 6'3 frame to also help as a force at the net. But they've got unfinished business to attend to in 2012 at 3:30pm today as they take on Notre Dame in the opening round of the conference tournament in Milwaukee. The match will be broadcast live on BigEast.tv, so mentally check out at your cubicle about 90 minutes early today and stream away. Should be a good one: If the Bulls pass the tough serving Irish effectively, they should head back to the semifinals for the first time since 2009.