Sports: Bulls bits

Bulls bits

By ROD GIPSON

TAMPA -- Two games. Two shutouts.

The men's soccer team is 2-0 after 1-0 wins over Lafayette and Florida International, marking the first time in 21 matches the Bulls held an opponent scoreless.

Junior midfielder Jeff Thwaites scored the winning goal against Lafayette while junior defender Brian Mullins scored the winner against FIU.

And in posting those shutouts, Troy Perkins made 10 saves, including nine against FIU, to earn Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Perkins, a sophomore, already has two more shutouts than all of last season, when he allowed 33 goals in 17 games. The Bulls are at the Duke Tournament beginning this weekend, facing the host Blue Devils today and North Carolina State on Saturday. Following that tournament, the Bulls play at Stetson on Sept. 12 and open C-USA play Sept. 15 at home against Charlotte.

VOLLEYBALL: The Bulls placed third at the UF Sun Trust Invitational last weekend, defeating Marshall before falling to Arizona and Florida.

The Bulls defeated Marshall 30-27, 32-30, 30-17 then lost 30-26, 30-19, 30-23 to No. 6 Arizona and 30-11, 30-27, 30-26 to the ninth-ranked Gators.

Setter Jolene Patton had 10 digs and seven kills while outside hitter Michelle Collier led the Bulls with 21 kills. Aury Cruz, Benavia Jenkins and Nicole McCray recorded double-digit kills. USF evened its record to 2-2 Tuesday with a 30-26, 30-9, 30-28 victory at home over Florida Atlantic.

USF plays at the Loyola-Chicago Invitational this weekend. CROSS COUNTRY: The women won their third consecutive Mountaineer Open at Appalachian State in Boone, N.C. on Saturday. The Bulls, who had five runners in the top 13, totaled 37 points to outdistanced Florida State (52) and Wake Forest (87).

Junior Kristy Fuller (18:04) placed second and Tara Quinn (18:12) third.

Other finishers were Cori Kill (18:28) in seventh, Tiffany Quinn (18:36) in 12th and Christa Benton (18:37) in 13th.