Sameer Bhutani

Contributing Writer

The volleyball team headed to Bakersfield last weekend for the Roadrunner Classic. Three games in two days against UC Irvine (5-9), UC Riverside (5-7), and Northern Arizona (10-3).

In the first of their three games the Dons lost in straight sets to the Irvine Anteaters 25-17, 25-18, and 25-11. Irvine was on fire with a .456 attack percentage compared to USF’s .179. San Francisco had the advantage in blocks, five in comparison to Irvine’s three, but also accumulated seven blocking errors. Freshman Trish Koutsoukas’s 11 assists weren’t enough to take at least one game.

Game two against Riverside was a much more competitive. USF took the first set 25-22 but dropped the next two 19-25 and 14-25. The fourth set was all San Francisco to start blasting to a 10-3 lead but UCR grinded back six straight points to a 10-9 scoreline. The Dons jumped back out ahead 20-9 but the Highlanders were within striking distance after a 11-4 run to bring the score to 24-20 in favor of USF before San Francisco earned the set-point. The fifth set to 15 was a barn burner as the Highlanders and Dons kept going back and forth playing all the way to 19-17 in favor of UCR.

The final game of the invite San Francisco got steamrolled by Northern Arizona in straight sets 25-16, 25-16 and 25-17. The Dons only mustered 26 kills and one block in comparison to NAU’s 45 and five. It wasn’t their sharpest game but hopefully going forward USF looks back to this game as what not to do.

Volleyball is limping into West Coast Conference play and hope to turn things around for the better this upcoming Thursday, September 22 against USD in San Diego. First serve is scheduled for 7PM. Be sure to follow live online at usfdons.com and theW.tv.

PHOTO: DONS ATHLETICS/ FLICKR