Nicholas Welsh
Staff Writer
After a West Coast road trip, a return to War Memorial Gym couldn’t pull the Dons out of their recent slump. The Dons were unable to keep pace with the LMU Lions in a 3-1 loss last Saturday, which came two days after the dropped a home match to the Pepperdine Waves, a game they also lost in four sets. Continue reading Losing Woes Continue for Dons in Home Losses
Nicholas Welsh
Staff Writer
The Dons came up short in two hard- fought road contests against the Portland Pilots on Thursday, Nov. 6 and the Gon- zaga Bulldogs on Saturday, Nov. 8, losing both matches in the fifth and final set. Continue reading VOLLEYBALL: USF SPIKED BY PORTLAND, GONZAGA
Andrew Noerr
Staff Writer
This past week saw USF look fantastic in one match but overpowered in another. On Thursday, the Dons swept San Diego 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-21), but were then caught on the losing end of a 3-0 sweep against No. 11 BYU (20-25, 24-26, 14-25). Senior outside hitter Anja Segota led USF with 25 kills and 16 digs in the two games combined, and the Dons got great performances from senior middle blocker Valentina Zaloznik and sophomore outside hitter Katarina Pilepic on Thursday as well. With the 1-1 homestand, USF is now 12-12 this season and 5-7 in the West Coast Conference. Continue reading Volleyball: Dons Dominate USD, Get Swept by BYU
Conor McDermott Welch
Staff Writer
The Dons split their first two matches of a four-game road stretch against West Coast Conference opponents. They dispatched the Pepperdine Waves 3-1 in Malibu, Calif. on Saturday, and came up short in five sets against the No. 24 LMU Lions on Thursday. Continue reading Volleyball: dons break even to start road trip
Hayden Gehr
Staff Writer
There was a very relaxed, casual atmosphere in the Koret Center’s Hagan Gym during the minutes before the USF men’s volleyball club began their Wednesday night practice. Head coach Corydon Kintz arrived early, without a doubt excited to see the new carbon fiber volleyball poles that were replacing the 25-year-old poles in place since Koret first opened. Practice was set for 7:30, but many students arrived late.
However, the laid-back attitudes quickly disappeared. Once the nets were in place and practice began, a wave of intensity filled the gym, and each player took on a serious demeanor. The team ran a series of offensive drills, which often ended in an emphatic spike over the net. Continue reading Varsity Sport or Not, Men’s Volleyball Valued on Campus
Nicholas Welsh
Staff Writer
After USF’s three-set win over St. Mary’s on the night that senior middle blocker Valentina Zaloznik got her 1,000th collegiate kill, the Dons dropped two road games to two excellent teams, No. 10 BYU and No. 23 San Diego. The Dons lost both games 3-1, and now find themselves 2-2 in West Coast Conference play and 9-7 overall. Continue reading Volleyball: Dons Overwhelmed by Nationally Ranked BYU, San Diego
Nicholas Welsh
Staff Writer
In the opening match of West Coast Conference play, USF (8-5) dominated the Santa Clara Broncos (10-4), winning three straight sets in commanding fashion. The Dons looked calm and collected throughout the match, winning by an average of six points each set. Continue reading Volleyball: DONS BUCK BRONCOS IN STRAIGHT SETS
Conor McDermott Welch
Contributing Writer
All was not well in the sunny paradise of Hawaii for the Dons this past weekend. They attended the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Volleyball Challenge in Oahu from Friday to Sunday, but were unable to win a single one of their three matches. However, senior middle blocker Valentina Zaloznik was still named to an all tournament team for the third consecutive weekend. Continue reading Volleyball: Hawaii Trip No Vacation For Dons
Andrew Noerr
Staff Writer
The Dons can put a check mark next to their final test before the new season begins. USF held its annual alumni game on Saturday at War Memorial Gym, and swept the alumni in three sets by winning 27-25, 25-22, 25-23. The game featured the 2014 USF team taking on an assortment of former Dons volleyball players, and while it serves more as a fun and traditional event rather than a must-win contest, the 2014 squad still treated the game as a legitimate battle and a good warmup for the regular season. “It was a great atmosphere today, and had a real game feel,” head coach Gilad Doron told usfdons.com. “The alumni played very well and pushed our current team’s play, which was very important for us. Our players can learn from the game, and I hope it will help them build their trust and confidence in one another before we start the season next week.” The USF alumni were neck and neck with the 2014 squad in all three sets, and perhaps that shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone considering the amount of talent that was present on this year’s alumni team. Some standout names from this year’s group include former All-West Coast Conference player Carly Babin Biolasky, 2007 WCC Defensive Player of the Year Haley Caroll and USF’s Most Valuable Player in 2012, Leanna Ludes. “After graduation, people go back home or go on other adventures,” Ludes told usfdons.com. “This is a time to reconnect, reminisce and have a good time with other alumni, whether you shared the court at the same time or not.” Now that the alumni match is behind them, the current Dons team is ready to embark on the journey that is the 2014 season. USF will be hosting the San Francisco Invitational on Friday, Aug. 29 and Saturday, Aug. 30. The other teams competing in the tournament are Georgia, Fordham, and SMU, and the first match for the Dons will be against the SMU Mustangs at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. USF will then battle Fordham on Saturday at 12:30 p.m., and Georgia at 7:00 p.m. that night. “I’ve heard that (the Dons have) got a good squad this year, and a lot of talent that could make them a very powerful unit this season,” Ludes said.
It was a rough week for the Dons, who dropped a pair of road matches against Saint Mary’s and Pacific to fall to 11-15 (7-9 WCC) on the season. On Saturday, the Dons had difficulty matching the Gaels’ offensive firepower, losing in straight sets at McKeon Pavilion.
The Dons hung tight in the first set, and were tied with St. Mary’s at 16-16 before the Gaels took control to take the set 25-20.
USF got off to a quick start in the second set, taking the lead 6-4 on a kill from freshman outside hitter Katarina Pilepic. The match was later tied at 11-11 before a 7-1 put the Gaels in the driver’s seat. Saint Mary’s (15-9, 11-5) won the set 25-17 and continued to shut down the Dons in the third set, which they took by the same score.
Junior middle blocker Valentina Zaloznik finished with a team-high eight kills for San Francisco, and senior setter Mackenzie Murtagh led the Dons with 17 assists. In the match, the Dons had just 29 total kills compared to 46 for Saint Mary’s.
Thursday’s Nov. 14 game in Stockton, Calif. also saw the Dons struggle offensively against the Pacific
Tigers.The Dons won the first set 25-23 in a close set that featured 15 ties. With the two teams locked at 23, kills from senior outside hitter Malina Terrell and Pilepic gave the Dons a 1-0 lead.
Pacific kept its composure despite the early deficit, and took the second set 25-20 after claiming the lead for good at 9-8. In the crucial third set, the Dons fell flat, and Pacific led all the way to emerge with a 25-18 win.
In the fourth set, dominant play from Pacific’s Gillian Howard put the Tigers ahead 17-9 and had them smelling victory. However, the Dons still had some fight left in them, and a USF comeback brought the score to 21-18. Junior middle blocker Valentina Zaloznik kept the Dons alive with a much-needed kill that got them within 24-22, but Pacific (12-15, 5-11) secured the final point on the next play, and the Tigers walked off the court with a 3-1 win.
The Dons have two games left in their season, both of them home matches. USF plays Pepperdine on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 7:00 p.m., and finishes up the year with a match against Loyola Marymount on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 1:00 p.m.
