Katarina Pilepic has enjoyed a breakout month, averaging 4.38 points per set and 3.85 kills per set in October, along with three double-doubles and a career-high 26 kills in an Oct. 11 win over Portland.
After being named to the West Coast Conference All-Freshman Team last year, Pilepic has improved and emerged as a leader and serious offensive threat this season.
“My mindset was bad my freshman year, and this year it changed a lot, because I’m a sophomore and I have a bigger role on this team,” Pilepic said.
Along with her career night against Portland, Pilepic also registered 20 kills on the road against nationally ranked BYU on Oct. 2.
“If I play really good, I tend to keep playing good,” Pilepic said. “Also, I have trust in my teammates who are giving me a lot of balls. My biggest talent in volleyball is hitting the ball, so that’s my strongest part, to kill the ball.”
Despite Pilepic’s personal accomplishments, the Dons have faltered this month. After entering the month 9-5, USF has gone 2-6 in October thus far and now sits at 11-11. The Dons will have to make a run in November to finish the season in the upper half of the WCC.
“We’re working on teamwork and trusting each other,” Pilepic said. “We’re trying to turn this around and get a good record in the last eight games.”
