Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 12 Florida volleyball (2-1, 0-0 SEC) makes the short trip to Tampa on Tuesday to open September play against in-state foe USF (0-2, 0-0 AAC). First serve is set for 6 p.m. inside the Yuengling Center and will stream live on ESPN+, while ESPN 98.1/850 AM WRUF will provide radio coverage.

The Gators hold a 30-4 advantage in the all-time series, but will look to redeem last year's meeting in Gainesville, when the Bulls edged out a 3-2 victory inside the O'Dome. Florida's most recent appearance inside the Yuengling Center came in 2023, when the Gators closed out the Road 2 Tampa Bay Invitational with a 3-2 win over the Bulls.

Tuesday, Sept. 2 at USF
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Venue: Yuengling Center in Tampa, Fla.
Broadcast: ESPN+  
Talent: Kelly Burke and Ryan Urquhart
Radio ESPN 98.1 FM / 850 AM WRUF 
Talent: Nick Cheronis and Sky Lebron
LiveStats 
 
Series Record 30-4 (0-0 under Theis)
3-set: 18-1; 4-set: 10-1; 5-set: 2-2
Home: 16-1; Away: 11-1; Neutral: 3-2
Last matchup: 2024, L, 2-3 (25-15, 22-25, 25-12, 23-25, 10-15) in Gainesville, Fla.
 
Florida in the AVCA/TARAFLEX Week 1 Rankings
The Florida volleyball team has climbed to No. 12 in the AVCA/TARAFLEX Week 1 Division I Top-25 Poll, the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced Monday afternoon.

Florida's remaining schedule features six opponents ranked in the top-25. That slate includes matchups with No. 2 Texas and No. 4 Kentucky, along with top-10 showdowns against No. 8 Wisconsin and No. 10 Texas A&M. The Gators will also meet two additional top-20 programs in No. 16 Missouri and No. 20 Baylor.

Florida sits 1-1 against ranked opponents through opening weekend, with its victory over Pitt, now ranked No. 9, and a four-set loss against No. 6 Stanford.

Gators Home Opener vs. Norfolk State
Florida opened its 2025 home slate with a sweep (25-18, 25-13, 25-12) over Norfolk State (0-4, 0-0 MEAC) on Sunday, Aug. 31 at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
The Gators notched their first win in the all-time series against the Spartans, while improving to 35-6 in home openers, including a 30-2 record in three-set matches.

About USF:
South Florida opened up its 2025 season in Knoxville, Tenn. against No. 15 Purdue and host Tennessee. The Bulls fell in a five-set thriller to the Boilermakers before being swept against the Lady Vols later that night.
 
USF returns seven players from last season's 2024 AAC regular-season championship team, which includes Maria Clara Andrade. The outside hitter was named the 2025 Preseason Player of the Year and earned a spot on the Preseason All-Conference Team and was named the 2024 American Player of the Year. Redshirt freshman Ally Cananaugh was also named to the AAC's Preseason all-conference team.
 
The Bulls added outside hitter Laila Ivey (Maryland), Libero Samiha Foster (West Virginia), Samiyah Abdur-Rahim (TCU), Addy Brus, last season's Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Year at Saint Louis University, graduate student setter Sarah White, who has SEC and Big Ten Conference experience after playing at Missouri and Ohio State, Iyanna Garvin (Hofstra), Raegan Richardson (Florida Gulf Coast University) and Arianna Beckham (Mississippi State).
 
Head coach Jolene Shepardson enters her sixth season at the helm of her alma mater in 2025. Named head coach on January 8, 2020, Shepardson led the Bulls to a conference championship and the program's last NCAA tournament appearance as a student-athlete in 2002. South Florida won the 2024 AAC regular-season title, earning Jolene Shepardson her first Coach of the Year Honor. In 2023, the Bulls won the AAC East Division title, made a postseason appearance in the NIVC, won three matches, and advanced to the Fab Four to mark the longest postseason run in program history. South Florida Volleyball has won eight Player of the Year honors, most recently in Maria Clara Andrade in 2024. The Bulls have also had four Setter of the Year honors, most recently in Caroline Dykes in 2024.

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