University of San Francisco Athletics

It was Don versus Don as the San Francisco volleyball team welcomed some notable alumnae back to the Hilltop for its annual Alumni Match at War Memorial Gym.
 
Carly Babin ('08), who led the team in blocks in three of her seasons at USF, led the defensive warm-ups for the returning Dons on the court. On the offensive side of the ball, the four setters representing both squads took both teams through drills to prepare for the marquee matchup – Oldies vs. Youngstas.
 
All three games played were tight contests, with the Oldies taking the lead in the first set. But the current players turned it around to regain the advantage and show the former Dons whose gym it was now.  Any scouting by the alumni that had taken place Friday evening as the Dons took care of Santa Clara was negated as the current players threw the alums off their trail with new plays and rotations to stymie the old-timers.
 
By the third set, current Dons Rebecca Kopilovitch and Jessica Keenan switched sides to lend the alums a helping hand on defense. Babin, who holds the school record for blocks in a match with 15, was not alone in the middle.  Audrey Barron ('06), continued making her inside presence known, protecting the net from the middle blocker spot.
 
Former players Brittanie Budinger ('03) and Anna Berger were hitting as if they had never left the Hilltop. USF Hall of Famer Budinger continued to send the heat across the net. Although her second-place numbers of 1,518 career kills for USF won't increase, Budinger showed by she stands as the only volleyball player to have her jersey retired on the Hilltop. Berger, a 2009 USF graduate, along with Amelia Milo ('03) added in on the attacking offense to help the alumni keep the match close, but the current Dons owned the floor.
 
The newest alumna to make an appearance was Leanna Ludes ('13), who shared setting duties to run a 6-2 offense with April (Scoggin) Calvary ('03).  Owning fourth in the career assists lists, Calvary and the eighth all-time setter in Ludes teamed up to make the hitters shine.
 
Coaches Zuzana Bednarova ('08) and John Hammonds were natural leaders on the sidelines for the Oldies and Youngstas, and announcer Julie Congi was spinning tunes and calling out kills from behind the mic. Along with the alumni match, the women took time to revisit the ever-changing campus, admiring what USF has to offer current students.

"The campus has changed so much. It looks amazing," remarked Bednarova. "Even though we socialize outside of this alumni game, it's always amazing to come back to come here together. It's such a special atmosphere and to see the girls playing - it's great to be back. Even though we didn't all play on the same team, it's through these alumni events our friendships grow closer, and this program helps us keep up our relationships with each other and USF strong."
 
The fun and competitive environment gave the alumnae a chance to reunite with each other and meet the current faces in the program.  The highly anticipated yearly event brought people to the Bay from places as far away as New York and Seattle and as close as 22nd Avenue.