University of South Florida volleyball player Paula Tomasa secured a Freshman of the Week award from The American Conference on October 5, 2026, following a 21-kill week that featured a match-high performance in a sweep over Rice.
The conference announced the weekly accolades on Monday, highlighting the performances that kept the Bulls moving forward through their early October schedule. Tomasa anchored her offensive output with a 3.50 kills-per-set average across the stretch, while adding eight digs, two blocks, two assists, and one service ace to her weekly stat line.
Nina Jioshvili-Ravva Earns Conference Recognition
Teammate Nina Jioshvili-Ravva also earned conference recognition for the week, picking up an honorable mention nod after leading the Bulls with 64 total assists. Jioshvili-Ravva maintained a 10.67 assists-per-set average, highlighted by a match-high 34 assists against Temple. That performance marked her third consecutive match recording 30 or more assists.
Upcoming Conference Road Trip to Texas
The Bulls head out of state next to face North Texas on Friday, October 9, followed by an away match against UTSA on Sunday, October 11.
Head coach Jolene Shepardson oversees the program in her seventh season at the helm of her alma mater. Shepardson guided the Bulls back to the NCAA Tournament in 2025 for the first time since her playing days in 2002, following a 2024 American Conference regular-season championship that earned her Coach of the Year honors. The program’s history includes eight NCAA Tournament appearances and 13 conference titles since its inception in 1972, alongside nine Player of the Year honors featuring Maria Clara Andrade in 2024 and 2025, and four Setter of the Year honors including Caroline Dykes in 2024.
Home matches for South Florida take place at The Corral, a 1,000-seat venue located adjacent to the Yuengling Center on the Tampa campus. Fans seeking tickets for upcoming matches can contact the athletic ticket office by calling 1-800-GO-BULLS (1-800-462-8557), emailing [email protected], downloading the South Florida Bulls app on the Android or Apple stores, or visiting USFBullsTix.com and the official athletics website for seating, parking, and ticket availability, as well as following the Bulls on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
