University of North Texas Athletics
University of North Texas
9-7,2-3American
South Florida
4-11,3-2American
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Fla. | 25 | 24 | 19 | 25 | 11 | 2 |
| North Texas | 20 | 26 | 25 | 22 | 15 | 3 |
Volleyball Outlasts South Florida in Five-Set Thriller
10/9/2026 11:43:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
DENTON, Texas – The UNT volleyball team earned a dramatic five-set (20-25, 26-24, 25-19, 22-25, 15-11) victory over South Florida on Friday night at the UNT Volleyball Center.
With the win, North Texas snapped its three-match losing streak and improved to 9-7 on the season and 2-3 in American Conference play.
"I told the team that was huge for the program," head coach Dave Fleming said. "That's a good team on the other side of the net, and it was just good to see us coming back to who we are. A good defensive team that's willing to take big swings in big moments."
After dropping the opening set, the Mean Green responded with back-to-back victories to take a 2-1 match advantage. South Florida then took the fourth set to force a deciding fifth frame, in which UNT pulled away late and secured the crucial win.
The North Texas defense led the way at it held the Bulls to just a .142 hitting percentage and forced 30 attack errors. Offensively, the Mean Green overcame 19 USF blocks as three different players reached double-digit kills as part of 58 total by the team.
Outside hitters Lillian Croshaw and Jahniya Jackson tied for the team lead with 14 kills apiece. Four of Croshaw's kills came in the final period, including the match winner, while Jackson added five digs and four total blocks on defense. Addison Achilles also had a spectacular night, matching her season-high of 10 kills alongside four blocks at the net.
In her first start of the season, Ryann Vik provided a substantial boost at the middle blocker position. She completed the night with eight kills, her most since the 2025 season opener, as well as five digs and a pair of blocks.
"I think the last couple of games really put a spark in us," Vik said. "We really wanted to compete tonight. We wanted to show people what Mean Green volleyball is, and I think we did that tonight. We fought, we played hard and we got the result we wanted."
Sidney Soria recorded her second consecutive double-double through 26 assists and 15 digs, which both led the team. Anchoring the back row defense alongside Soria was Dakota Mitchell, who registered 13 digs in her first start at libero this season.
UNT quickly turns around for a quick road trip to Temple on Sunday at 11 a.m. CT. The match will once again be available for streaming on ESPN+.
