Before the weekend’s American Athletic Conference tournament (AAC),  USF volleyball head coach Jolene Shepardson said her team had what it takes to capture its first AAC tournament championship since 2002.

“When you have the right people and the right players on the court, that perfect combination, good things happen,” said Shepardson, who was part of the 2002 squad.

After capturing the 2024 regular season title on Nov. 17, the Bulls entered the AAC tournament on Friday as the No. 1 seed. They had a chance to secure its first berth in the NCAA tournament since 2002.

USF volleyball squandered the opportunity, losing against Wichita State on Sunday in the semi-finals.

The Bulls’ defeat against the Shockers now leaves them in a state of uncertainty. 

USF is now at the mercy of the NCAA women’s volleyball committee, as it determines which non-conference champions participate in the national tournament.

Despite this weekend’s loss, South Florida has shown the team has high-level players that can compete with elite teams.

There are 64 teams that will play in the NCAA tournament, and 32 of them can earn an at-large bid  – USF deserves to be one of them.

Strength of Schedule 

A team’s strength of schedule (SOS) is part of the primary criteria for selection in the national tournament according to the NCAA. 

USF ranks highly in the Rating Percentage Index (RPI), a tool used by the selection committee to evaluate a team’s SOS. The Bulls are 54th in the nation in RPI, which is second among all AAC programs.

Rice is the only conference team above them (40th), an opponent it defeated on Oct. 16.

The Bulls endured a tough regular season, including matches against four ranked opponents. 

USF showed it could play with the country’s best on Sept. 6, winning an upset versus then-No.10 Florida.

Related: USF volleyball nabs highest-ranked program win in Gator Tournament

Including its win at UF, South Florida has defeated seven teams with a winning record this year.

Conference Dominance

The AAC tournament may determine the conference champion, but South Florida still has the best case as the conference’s best team this season. 

The 2024 regular season champions stampeded its way through league play this year.

Before USF’s loss to Wichita State on Sunday, they previously defeated the Shockers on Oct. 11. The victory was one of 14 for the Bulls in the AAC, where they ended on a six-game win streak. 

The Bulls made a habit of not just defeating conference foes, but beating them in dominating fashion. In eight of their 14 AAC wins, USF won the match in a 3-0 sweep. 

Statistically, USF proved to be one of the conference’s finest teams, finishing first in several categories.

Offensively, the Bulls led the AAC in points, service aces and hitting percentage. 

Defensively, South Florida was just as impressive, allowing the least amount of kills in the conference.

Showtime talent

A USF exclusion from the NCAA tournament would result in one of the top players in the country being left out as well. 

Junior outside hitter Maria Clara Andrade had elite play in 2024, earning her the Player of the Year honor in the AAC and an All-Conference first team selection. 

A player of her caliber belongs on a national stage.

She led the AAC in kills with 281, as well as total points with 314.

Andrade’s stats also rank highly when you compare her against her peers in Division I volleyball. She ranks in the top 50 for both kills per set (4.30) and points per set (4.77).

In the Bulls’ two AAC tournament games, Andrade played below her stellar standard. 

In Friday’s win against UAB, she lost her streak of 21 straight games with double digit kills, finishing with nine. 

On Sunday versus the Shockers, she recorded just 10 kills. She had 19 when the teams played earlier in the season on Oct. 11.

After USF clinched the conference regular season title on Nov.17, Andrade said her goal was to go for nationals. 

The AAC’s best player deserves a chance to prove her tournament performance was only an outlier.

Last season, South Florida found itself in a similar predicament. 

USF captured the AAC East Division title, but finished behind AAC champion SMU in the conference standings. The Mustangs received the NCAA tournament nod, while the Bulls were left out.

When the selection committee reveals the 64-team field on Dec. 1, USF should find themselves in the bracket.