a month ago
![Samiyah Abdur-Rahim was on her way to her uncle Amir Abdur-Rahim’s funeral when she received an email that South Florida wanted her to play volleyball.
The timing was, in her own words, “funny”.
Abdur-Rahim was traveling to Florida to say goodbye to her uncle, who coached USF men’s basketball team from 2023 until his death on Oct. 3, 2024.
Just one day after the funeral, she met with USF volleyball coach Jolene Shepardson to join the team.
She decided almost immediately she wanted to join.
“[Coach] is so full of energy, she’s this great, bubbly person,” Abdur-Rahim said in an interview with The Oracle. “So I think that first initial meeting was just great and what led me to [become] a Bull.”
And just one state away, Ryelle Rondo was having her own unexpected introduction to USF.
Rondo was going to a friend’s graduation at the University of Alabama when she found out South Florida was interested.
“I get this call and I’m like kind of confused,” Rondo said. “It was Coach [Shepardson]. She was so warm, bubbly and very welcoming.”
Despite arriving from different places and learning about USF in completely different moments, both players found themselves in the same destination — Tampa.
✍️ by Jack Febesh
📸 by Violet Vasquez-Pimentel
📲 Click the link in bio to read more.](https://s2.imginn.com/818730127_17961179361236826_1618575560034534348_n.jpg?t51.82787-15/818730127_17961179361236826_1618575560034534348_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_p720x720_tt6&_nc_cat=102&ig_cache_key=Mzk5MTk5MjkzNTA1OTMxMjMxNw%3D%3D.3-ccb7-5&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=58cdad&efg=eyJ2ZW5jb2RlX3RhZyI6IkZFRUQueHBpZHMuMTA4MC5zZHIucmVndWxhcl9waG90by5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=85LRi4SsQLoQ7kNvwFCPd9b&_nc_oc=AdrVzIopEL72sp-eteGRoKznmD6CHiBtc6T0rvm4Uxi1DQD6-6nz5d3FBBxLl-D61h6E6QgduRRLHAcqte8xBOJN&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-mia5-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_gid=XUSiXDMrpaoomdtqT_ctOQ&_nc_ss=70289&oh=00_AQMxUrZC5lDykmnzP6gVQUyruDqEFN8W26UOuKj96K0uPw&oe=6ADBDB7D)
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Posted On: September 22nd 2026, 06:44 pm
Samiyah Abdur-Rahim was on her way to her uncle Amir Abdur-Rahim’s funeral when she received an email that South Florida wanted her to play volleyball.
The timing was, in her own words, “funny”.
Abdur-Rahim was traveling to Florida to say goodbye to her uncle, who coached USF men’s basketball team from 2023 until his death on Oct. 3, 2024.
Just one day after the funeral, she met with USF volleyball coach Jolene Shepardson to join the team.
She decided almost immediately she wanted to join.
“[Coach] is so full of energy, she’s this great, bubbly person,” Abdur-Rahim said in an interview with The Oracle. “So I think that first initial meeting was just great and what led me to [become] a Bull.”
And just one state away, Ryelle Rondo was having her own unexpected introduction to USF.
Rondo was going to a friend’s graduation at the University of Alabama when she found out South Florida was interested.
“I get this call and I’m like kind of confused,” Rondo said. “It was Coach [Shepardson]. She was so warm, bubbly and very welcoming.”
Despite arriving from different places and learning about USF in completely different moments, both players found themselves in the same destination — Tampa.
✍️ by Jack Febesh
📸 by Violet Vasquez-Pimentel
📲 Click the link in bio to read more.
The timing was, in her own words, “funny”.
Abdur-Rahim was traveling to Florida to say goodbye to her uncle, who coached USF men’s basketball team from 2023 until his death on Oct. 3, 2024.
Just one day after the funeral, she met with USF volleyball coach Jolene Shepardson to join the team.
She decided almost immediately she wanted to join.
“[Coach] is so full of energy, she’s this great, bubbly person,” Abdur-Rahim said in an interview with The Oracle. “So I think that first initial meeting was just great and what led me to [become] a Bull.”
And just one state away, Ryelle Rondo was having her own unexpected introduction to USF.
Rondo was going to a friend’s graduation at the University of Alabama when she found out South Florida was interested.
“I get this call and I’m like kind of confused,” Rondo said. “It was Coach [Shepardson]. She was so warm, bubbly and very welcoming.”
Despite arriving from different places and learning about USF in completely different moments, both players found themselves in the same destination — Tampa.
✍️ by Jack Febesh
📸 by Violet Vasquez-Pimentel
📲 Click the link in bio to read more.
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