University of San Francisco Athletics

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STANFORD, Calif. – The San Francisco women's volleyball team earned a split in tournament action at the ACSR sand volleyball courts Sunday afternoon.

In the first contest of the day, the Dons faced off with host team, Stanford, and fell 4-1 to the Cardinal. USF's point in team action came at the No. 4 position, as Courtney Sabahi and Malina Terrell nabbed the two-set victory over Inky Ajanaku and Mary Ellen Luck, 21-19, 21-18. After a hard fought three-set battle resulting in a loss for the duo in the day's second match, the coupling sits at 4-3 on the season from the fourth position.

Against Sacramento State, USF earned the 3-2 win over the Hornets to notch the season sweep. The first point of the second session came at the No. 5 position as Mackenzie Murtagh and Inbar Vinarsky dispatched the tandem of Breanne Menees and Chelcy Motes 21-17, 21-10 to move to 5-2 on the year, a team-best mark. USF nabbed its second team point in the action as Rebecca Kopilovitch and Jurja Vlasic took care of the No. 2 spot with a 21-17, 21-13 victory.

Sacramento State tied the game at 2-2 after a three-set match at the third position went the way of the Hornets. Anja Segota and Leanna Ludes dropped the first set 17-21, but battled back in the second frame with a 21-18 win. In the hotly contested third match, a kill by Segota started the scoring as the Dons got out to a 3-1 lead. Sacramento State rallied to knot the match at 4-4 and take the lead on the ensuing point. USF kept it close throughout, tying the score at 9-9 after a Ludes kill. The Hornets went on to regain the advantage and saw its largest lead of the day with the score at 13-10 in favor of Sacramento State. A Ludes kill pulled the score within one at the Hornets attempted to convert on its first match point attempt, but Sacramento State mustered enough on its second try to end the set with a score of 15-13 and take the team point.

Again, it was up to the No. 1 team to break the tie and decide the day's outcome. The duo of Valentina Zaloznik and Sara Staengle proved to be up to the challenge, dispatching its opponents 21-13, 21-19 to give the Dons the victory. In the first set, the score was tied at 10-10 when USF rattled off the next five points, capped off by an ace from Zaloznik. The Dons outscored the Hornets 11-3 down the stretch with five kills credited to Zaloznik and three for Staengle.

The second set saw the Dons with a 16-13 lead after Zaloznik powered home a kill. But the Hornets put on a rally to tie the score at 18-18 and put the set in jeopardy. Another Zaloznik kill again gave USF the advantage before Sacramento State scored a rallying point. But Zaloznik, a sophomore from Ljubno ob Savinji, Slovenia, finished the set and the match with two more kills to give USF the 21-19 set victory and earn the 3-2 team win.

After the two-match tournament, the Dons move to 5-2 on the season heading into its final competition of the regular season. USF concludes its inaugural season at No. 9 Saint Mary's Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.

Stanford 4, San Francisco 1
No. 1 – Brittany Howard/Carly Wopat def. Sara Staengle/Valentina Zaloznik; 14-21, 12-21
No. 2 – Jordan Burgess/Rachel Williams def. Rebecca Kopilovitch/Jurja Vlasic; 12-21, 14-21
No. 3 – Madi Bugg/Kyle Gilbert def. Leanna Ludes/Anja Segota; 21-23, 11-21
No. 4 – Courtney Sabahi/Malina Terrell def. Inky Ajanaku/Mary Ellen Luck; 21-19, 21-18
No. 5 – Lydia Bai/Morgan Boukather def. Mackenzie Murtagh/Inbar Vinarsky; 16-21, 15-21
 
San Francisco 3, Sacramento State 2
No. 1 – Sara Staengle/Valentina Zaloznik def. Katie Aprile/Kayla Beal; 21-13, 21-19
No. 2 – Rebecca Kopilovitch/Jurja Vlasic def. Jessie Genger/Sydney Kordic; 21-17, 21-13
No. 3 – Hannah Hettinga/Katelyn Ivy def. Leanna Ludes/Anja Segota; 17-21, 21-18, 13-15
No. 4 – Lauren Aikels/Sloan Lovett def. Courtney Sabahi/Malina Terrell; 20-22, 21-17, 4-15
No. 5 – Mackenzie Murtagh/Inbar Vinarsky def. Breanne Menees/Chelcy Motes; 21-17, 21-10