The Fletch Report: August 21st, 2023

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Welcome to The Fletch Report, your go-to weekly newsletter dedicated to bringing you the latest on University of South Florida's Olympic Sports. In this concise and informative newsletter, we'll dive into the highlights of the previous week's athletic events and matches, while also offering a glimpse of what's on the horizon.

USF Men’s Soccer: Wrapping Up Pre-Season Action

Recapping the Action: The USF men’s soccer team, led by Head Coach Bob Butehorn, concluded an impressive series of three exhibition matches over the past ten days. They kicked off with a resounding 4-1 victory over Southeastern, followed by a dominant 6-1 win against the University of Tampa in the Rowdies Cup. Wrapping up the pre-season matches, they secured a solid 2-0 victory over Central Florida.

Preseason Recognition: The AAC Men’s soccer preseason poll positioned the Bulls at a respectable 4th place in the conference (among nine teams), with a notable single first-place vote. Junior midfielder Shion Saga earned recognition as the sole Bull selected for the Preseason All-Conference team.

Upcoming: The season opener starts as the team embarks on a significant road trip, beginning with a match against #6 Washington this Thursday, followed by a clash with Seattle University on Sunday.

Score Summary:

• Southeastern (W 4-1)

  • Max Wilkins (x2), Jemone Barclay, Oscar Resano

• University of Tampa (W 6-1)

  • Max Wilkins (x2), Jalen Anderson (x2), Lovro Kostanjsek (x2)

• Central Florida (W 2-0)

• Lovro Kostanjsek, Segun Afolabi (PK)

USF Women’s Soccer: Pre-Season Triumphs, Season Launch

Mixed Emotions: The USF women's soccer team, under the guidance of Head Coach Denise Schilte-Brown in her final season with the Bulls, celebrated two pre-season exhibition victories: a commanding 5-1 win over Jacksonville and a convincing 3-0 victory against Stetson. Amid these triumphs, the Bulls earned pre-season accolades before officially embarking on their regular season.

Preseason Predictions: The Bulls were unanimously chosen to lead the East Division of the AAC, receiving all 11 votes. Notably, UAB secured one vote from Denise herself (who cannot vote for her own school). Meanwhile, Memphis claimed unanimous favor to win the AAC title as per all coaches.

Recognitions: Three USF players garnered pre-season honors, as each school had three players recognized:

• Vivianne Bessette, Jr., Defender
• Madison Schwartzenberger, Jr. Midfielder
• Serita Thurton, Jr. Forward/Midfielder

Into the Season: The Bulls' regular season kicked off with a hard-fought 1-0 away victory against LSU and followed up with a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Louisiana.

Score Breakdown:

• Jacksonville (W 5-1)

  • Serita Thurton, Peyton Vincze, Anna Sutter, Georgia Brown, Gentiana Fetaj

• Stetson (W 3-0)

  • Peyton Vincze, Linnea Nestor, Gentiana Fetaj

• LSU (W 1-0)

  • Georgia Brown

• Louisiana (L 0-2)

  • N/A

What's Ahead: USF will host Alabama A&M at home on Thursday before hitting the road to face FGCU in Fort Myers on Sunday.

USF Volleyball: Aiming for a Turnaround

Reviewing the Past: As Head Coach Jolene Shepherdson enters her fourth season at the helm, the USF Volleyball team is on the hunt for a breakthrough, despite a challenging record of 23-52 overall and a less-than-ideal 8-38 conference standing.

Preparation Complete: The Bulls wrapped up their pre-season with an inter-team scrimmage (Gold emerged victorious 2-1, [14-25, 25-22, 15-11]) on August 12th, followed by a decisive 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-21) exhibition win against Jacksonville on August 19th.

Looking Forward: The Bulls are gearing up for the 'Road to Tampa Bay' Tournament, where they are set to face #20 Georgia Tech on Friday, August 25th, followed by a clash against #11 Florida on Saturday, August 26th, at the Amalie Arena.