Box Score
SAN FRANCISCO - Despite putting up near-season highs in blocks with 13.0 on the night which included seven combo blocks from
Valentina Zaloznik, the San Francisco women's volleyball team dropped a five-set heartbreaker to Santa Clara on Thursday night at War Memorial Gym.
The back-and-forth affair moves Santa Clara to 18-8 on the seaon and 7-4 in West Coast Conference action after the 25-11, 25-27, 25-22, 24-26, 15-13 win.
The Dons (13-11, 4-7 WCC) started slow on their home court, dropping the first set 25-11, but found a rhythm in the second to even the score at one set apiece. USF's
Jocelyn Levig began the frame with an ace to set the tone as the Dons got their first advantage of the night. The hotly contested second saw three of the Dons' 13 total blocks on the night, including a stuff by
Leanna Ludes and Zaloznik to put the score at 25-25. After straight points by the home team and Zaloznik at the serve, the match was knotted at one set apiece.
Santa Clara earned the third set victory 25-22 and the Dons forced the deciding fifth set after taking the fourth in thrilling 26-24 fashion. The largest lead in the match-tying set came when USF got a solo block from
Anja Segota to put the score at 8-4 and force a Bronco timeout. From that point on, the teams see-sawed back and forth until the last tie of the set came at 23-all. USF took three of the next four points to even the contest at two sets apiece.
Similar to the previous three sets, the deciding frame was again started by a Dons point, this one off the kill from
Ester de Vries. However, Santa Clara immediately responded with a kill from Taylor Milton to even to score. The set was tied at 7-7 when Kayla Lommori gave the Broncos the go-ahead point in the match. The Dons kept close, and were within one when a de Vries blast landed just inside the line to give the Dons the serve down 14-13. Santa Clara closed the night on the ensuing point to take the set and the match.
Three Dons finished the night with double-digit kills, with de Vries' 16 leading the effort in the loss. Ludes posted 39 assists for USF and five players had at least 10 digs on the night, with libero
Rebecca Kopilovitch's 19 pacing the team. USF's 13 blocks comes in one shy of the season-high mark of 14. Megan Anders lead the way for the Broncos, posting a 28-kill tally and .404 hitting percentage in the win.
The Dons continue their weekend home stand on Saturday at 1 p.m., as USF welcomes Gonzaga to War Memorial Gym on Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day and Free Youth Saturday.
