All-time USF great Bob St. Clair was on hand for the unveiling of the display honoring the 1951 football team.
Hilltop Insider
4/23/2013 3:11:00 PM | General
Hilltop Insider is intended to provide news and anecdotes pertaining to USF athletics, its teams and student-athletes.
Diamond Dons Ready for Pressure-Packed Stretch Drive
Any hopes USF has of finishing in the top four in the conference standings and qualifying for the inaugural West Coast Conference Championships will hinge on the Dons performance over the course of the next three weekends in pivotal series against San Diego, Pepperdine and BYU.
After dropping two of three games at home to Loyola Marymount over the weekend, USF finds itself in a four-way tie for second place in the WCC standings with the Lions, San Diego and Pepperdine while BYU is lurking two games back with 7-5 league record. Gonzaga continues to lead the pack with a 13-5 record.
With three crucial conference series against teams in a similar position beginning with this weekend's set at San Diego, the Dons road to Stockton is clearly defined.
“We put ourselves in this position,” said head coach Nino Giarratano. “We were in control of Saturday's game against Loyola Marymount and could have had a stronghold on second place in the conference, but it didn't happen that way. We've been playing pretty well on the road so we'll try to continue that magic this weekend.
“It's movement week. The great thing is everything matters from this point on and that's fun for our kids to play in pressure-packed games. We've prepared them for this so hopefully we do what we are capable of doing offensively and we pitch a little better from a starting standpoint down the stretch.
“We're in a great position. We want to win the conference but we'll obviously have to play very well. We hold our own destiny and if we can win all three series we'll be in Stockton and probably will be in a regional.”
The WCC Championship is set for May 23-25 at Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton. The winner of the tournament receives the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Regional field. For ticket information, please call the Banner Island Ballpark ticket office at (209) 644-1900.
Sand Volleyball Wraps Up Inaugural Season
USF's sand volleyball team will take a 5-2 record into its season finale on Tuesday against ninth-ranked Saint Mary's.
Eyal Zimet, who serves as co-head coach of the team with Gilad Doron, believes the true measurement of success for the Dons first season in the sand will depend on how the team applies the lessons it learned during the fall campaign.
“We are very pleased with the attitude and energy of the team as they approach this new challenge,” said Zimet, who was an accomplished professional sand player on the AVP and FIVA circuits. “It's incredible to see how far the team has progressed since the beginning of practice in terms of consistency and feel for the game.”
As different as the indoor game is from sand competition, Zimet points out most of the challenges the Dons face deal with the mental aspect of the game.
“I think the sand season will really improve our mental toughness heading into the fall season. The best athletes in the indoor game can be humbled very quickly playing in the sand. Weaknesses can be hidden a bit playing indoors because they are taken care of by one of 16 players on a roster. There is a certain degree of specialization that exists indoors that isn't a part of the sand game.
“Other teams will keep trying to do things you least like to do and play to your weaknesses. You can't hide weaknesses in the sand. That aspect alone has forced our players to fight through a lot of things in the heat of competition. It has been a huge mental growth experience that will help us during the fall.”
Zimet also feels the sand season is benefitting certain players who are getting increased repetitions in the heat of competition, such as Sara Staengle, a freshman from Sindelfingin, Germany who sat out the fall season with injury.
Staengle, who teams with sophomore Valentina Zalozinek to form the Dons top pair, is making the most of the sand season.
“Sara has used the sand season to get reacclimated to the game,” said Zimet. “She is getting more reps and competition time this spring as a sand player than maybe she would have in a normal indoor training camp. She's making up for lost time and as result we're able to see more of what she can do to help our program come fall.”
Staengle has perhaps more sand experience than any player on the roster, having finished ninth in the European Under-19 Championships while competing for her native Germany.
“She has a beach volleyball I.Q. that some of our players are just now forming,” said Zimet.
Staengle and Zalozienk, a native of Slovenia who earned first team All-WCC honors last year, have been a formidable force for any team they have faced.
“They are a difficult riddle to solve on the beach,” said Zimet. “They complement each other very well, especially defensively. Valentina is very agile and a good blocker while Sara reads the game very well from the back row. They also set each other very well. Whenever there are just two people on the court, chemistry is huge and they have it.”
Men's Golf Plays Waiting Game
After finishing second at the WCC Championships last week, USF's men's golf team will have to wait until May 6 to learn its fate regarding a bid into the NCAA Regionals. With a national ranking of No. 58 in the latest Golfstat poll, head coach Rich Yokota feels confident about the team's chances of landing a spot in the regional field.
“In seven years I've never seen the bid go below 68,” said Yokoda. “I think it's possible for us to be in the mid-50's before the week is over. Last year was more of a nailbiter since we were 66th and I wasn't 100 percent sure we'd get the call.”
With one of the earliest contested conference championships in the country, USF will have a month between tournaments before the Dons tee it up at regionals, which get underway May 16 at throughout the country.
“We're anxious to play again, but our guys are taking it a little easy this week and we'll get after it pretty hard starting next week,” said Yokota. “It's a huge deal to get caught up with class work and get ready for finals.”
Three USF players – Alika Bell (t-11th), Sebastian Crookall-Nixon (t-43) and Jobim Carlos (t-48) – made the cut at the 86th Alameda Commuters Tournament last weekend. All three players are chasing assistant coach Mat Miller, who is tied for 11th at one-under par. The tournament concludes next weekend.
Honoring USF's 1951 “Unbeaten, Untied and Uninvited” Football Team
A new display honoring USF's 1951 “Unbeaten, Untied and Uninvited” football team was unveiled on April 12th in the Golden Gate lobby entrance of Memorial Gymnasium. The display features historical data, photos and video highlights of the team that featured four future NFL Hall of Famers in Ollie Matson, Gino Marchetti, Bob St. Clair and Pete Rozelle, the team's publicity director who would later become the driving force in launching the Super Bowl as the league's commissioner.
The project was spearheaded by USF's Director of Athletics Scott Sidwell, Bill Henneberry, USF's Emeritus Director of Athletic Development and Louise Lucchesi in USF's development office.
USF's 1951 football team posted a 9-0 record but was uninvited to participate in bowl competition after the team made it clear would not leave their two African-American teammates at home at the expense of a bowl bid. The football program was discontinued the following year.
29th Annual Swanson Memorial Golf Tournament Set for May 6 at The Olympic Club
Spaces are still available in the 29th Annual Swanson Memorial Golf Tournament presented by Hyundai which will be played at the famed Lakeside and Ocean courses at The Olympic Club on Monday, May 6.
The day includes a round of golf, lunch, raffle prizes, a hosted bar and buffet. The cost is $500 for individuals (Ocean Course), or $3,000 per foursome on the Lakeside course or $2,000 on the Ocean course.
All proceeds benefit USF Athletics.
For more information, please contact Caitlin Scholz at (415) 422-2875 or cesholz@usfca.edu.
Honoring USF's Best and Brightest
Make your plans to be with us on Sunday, May 6th for the Second Annual Hilltop Awards, honoring the outstanding achievements of USF's student-athletes.
The evening will commence with a reception at 5:30 p.m. in Memorial Gymnasium, followed by the awards ceremony hosted by Pat Olson. Each team will honor two student-athletes followed by the presentation of the University Awards, including the male and female athlete of the year.
The event is open to the public at a cost of $25. Student-athlete sponsorships are also available for $100.
Spring Tour Dates Set
Friends of USF athletics are invited to join Director of Athletics Scott Sidwell along with select USF head coaches and student-athletes at one of the seven stops on this year's Spring Tour schedule. Each evening includes an interactive conversation with Scott and USF coaches on the current state and future of USF athletics. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres, beer, wine and other refreshments will be served.
The Spring Tour will kick off on Tuesday, April 30th with the North Bay stop at the residence of Jack '78 and Sue Boland in San Rafael. Barbara Bechelli will host the San Francisco stop at the new USF Presidio building on May 6 followed by a visit to Southern California on May 15 at the Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, which will be hosted by Phil '64 and Marsha Bartenetti.
The Spring Tour returns to the Bay Area on May 15th for a stop at the Running Rabbit Ranch & Vineyard in Sonoma, hosted by Laura Gaeta Wilson, DDS '83 and Rick Wilson, along with Bill Traverso '67 and Dennis Black '68.
Con Dempsey III '82 will serve as the host for the South Bay stop at NOLA on Thursday, May 16th.
Dennis '63 and Pat Lucey, along with Ollie Johnson '65, Bob Crowley '61, Rick Fischer '65 and Chris Clark '93 will host the East Coast stop in the Washington D.C. area on Tuesday, May 21.
The East Bay tour date is set for Wednesday, May 22 at the Claremont Country Club on Oakland, which will be co-hosted by Dick and Janet Saalfeld of the Class of '65 and Chris '65 and Barbara '66 Westover.
For more information on any of this year's Spring Tour dates, please contact Flynn Ginty at 415-422-6807 or fpginty@usfca.edu. Space is limited.
New Hires
Several new hires have been made in the athletic department over the last six months. Julie Ross assumed the position of Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Student Services in November after spending five years working in the compliance department at Stanford University. Joining Julie on her staff are director of compliance and student services Ryan Merz and coordinator Robert Tigani.
USF also welcomes Katie Morgan as its director of creative video. Katie, who is the driving force behind the “To Be a Don” series, comes to USF after spending 12 years working at Major League Productions in New York. She has also worked on six Olympic Games, earning two Emmy Awards for live coverage.
Diamond Dons Ready for Pressure-Packed Stretch Drive
Any hopes USF has of finishing in the top four in the conference standings and qualifying for the inaugural West Coast Conference Championships will hinge on the Dons performance over the course of the next three weekends in pivotal series against San Diego, Pepperdine and BYU.
After dropping two of three games at home to Loyola Marymount over the weekend, USF finds itself in a four-way tie for second place in the WCC standings with the Lions, San Diego and Pepperdine while BYU is lurking two games back with 7-5 league record. Gonzaga continues to lead the pack with a 13-5 record.
With three crucial conference series against teams in a similar position beginning with this weekend's set at San Diego, the Dons road to Stockton is clearly defined.
“We put ourselves in this position,” said head coach Nino Giarratano. “We were in control of Saturday's game against Loyola Marymount and could have had a stronghold on second place in the conference, but it didn't happen that way. We've been playing pretty well on the road so we'll try to continue that magic this weekend.
“It's movement week. The great thing is everything matters from this point on and that's fun for our kids to play in pressure-packed games. We've prepared them for this so hopefully we do what we are capable of doing offensively and we pitch a little better from a starting standpoint down the stretch.
“We're in a great position. We want to win the conference but we'll obviously have to play very well. We hold our own destiny and if we can win all three series we'll be in Stockton and probably will be in a regional.”
The WCC Championship is set for May 23-25 at Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton. The winner of the tournament receives the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Regional field. For ticket information, please call the Banner Island Ballpark ticket office at (209) 644-1900.
Sand Volleyball Wraps Up Inaugural Season
USF's sand volleyball team will take a 5-2 record into its season finale on Tuesday against ninth-ranked Saint Mary's.
Eyal Zimet, who serves as co-head coach of the team with Gilad Doron, believes the true measurement of success for the Dons first season in the sand will depend on how the team applies the lessons it learned during the fall campaign.
“We are very pleased with the attitude and energy of the team as they approach this new challenge,” said Zimet, who was an accomplished professional sand player on the AVP and FIVA circuits. “It's incredible to see how far the team has progressed since the beginning of practice in terms of consistency and feel for the game.”
As different as the indoor game is from sand competition, Zimet points out most of the challenges the Dons face deal with the mental aspect of the game.
“I think the sand season will really improve our mental toughness heading into the fall season. The best athletes in the indoor game can be humbled very quickly playing in the sand. Weaknesses can be hidden a bit playing indoors because they are taken care of by one of 16 players on a roster. There is a certain degree of specialization that exists indoors that isn't a part of the sand game.
“Other teams will keep trying to do things you least like to do and play to your weaknesses. You can't hide weaknesses in the sand. That aspect alone has forced our players to fight through a lot of things in the heat of competition. It has been a huge mental growth experience that will help us during the fall.”
Zimet also feels the sand season is benefitting certain players who are getting increased repetitions in the heat of competition, such as Sara Staengle, a freshman from Sindelfingin, Germany who sat out the fall season with injury.
Staengle, who teams with sophomore Valentina Zalozinek to form the Dons top pair, is making the most of the sand season.
“Sara has used the sand season to get reacclimated to the game,” said Zimet. “She is getting more reps and competition time this spring as a sand player than maybe she would have in a normal indoor training camp. She's making up for lost time and as result we're able to see more of what she can do to help our program come fall.”
Staengle has perhaps more sand experience than any player on the roster, having finished ninth in the European Under-19 Championships while competing for her native Germany.
“She has a beach volleyball I.Q. that some of our players are just now forming,” said Zimet.
Staengle and Zalozienk, a native of Slovenia who earned first team All-WCC honors last year, have been a formidable force for any team they have faced.
“They are a difficult riddle to solve on the beach,” said Zimet. “They complement each other very well, especially defensively. Valentina is very agile and a good blocker while Sara reads the game very well from the back row. They also set each other very well. Whenever there are just two people on the court, chemistry is huge and they have it.”
Men's Golf Plays Waiting Game
After finishing second at the WCC Championships last week, USF's men's golf team will have to wait until May 6 to learn its fate regarding a bid into the NCAA Regionals. With a national ranking of No. 58 in the latest Golfstat poll, head coach Rich Yokota feels confident about the team's chances of landing a spot in the regional field.
“In seven years I've never seen the bid go below 68,” said Yokoda. “I think it's possible for us to be in the mid-50's before the week is over. Last year was more of a nailbiter since we were 66th and I wasn't 100 percent sure we'd get the call.”
With one of the earliest contested conference championships in the country, USF will have a month between tournaments before the Dons tee it up at regionals, which get underway May 16 at throughout the country.
“We're anxious to play again, but our guys are taking it a little easy this week and we'll get after it pretty hard starting next week,” said Yokota. “It's a huge deal to get caught up with class work and get ready for finals.”
Three USF players – Alika Bell (t-11th), Sebastian Crookall-Nixon (t-43) and Jobim Carlos (t-48) – made the cut at the 86th Alameda Commuters Tournament last weekend. All three players are chasing assistant coach Mat Miller, who is tied for 11th at one-under par. The tournament concludes next weekend.
Honoring USF's 1951 “Unbeaten, Untied and Uninvited” Football Team
A new display honoring USF's 1951 “Unbeaten, Untied and Uninvited” football team was unveiled on April 12th in the Golden Gate lobby entrance of Memorial Gymnasium. The display features historical data, photos and video highlights of the team that featured four future NFL Hall of Famers in Ollie Matson, Gino Marchetti, Bob St. Clair and Pete Rozelle, the team's publicity director who would later become the driving force in launching the Super Bowl as the league's commissioner.
The project was spearheaded by USF's Director of Athletics Scott Sidwell, Bill Henneberry, USF's Emeritus Director of Athletic Development and Louise Lucchesi in USF's development office.
USF's 1951 football team posted a 9-0 record but was uninvited to participate in bowl competition after the team made it clear would not leave their two African-American teammates at home at the expense of a bowl bid. The football program was discontinued the following year.
29th Annual Swanson Memorial Golf Tournament Set for May 6 at The Olympic Club
Spaces are still available in the 29th Annual Swanson Memorial Golf Tournament presented by Hyundai which will be played at the famed Lakeside and Ocean courses at The Olympic Club on Monday, May 6.
The day includes a round of golf, lunch, raffle prizes, a hosted bar and buffet. The cost is $500 for individuals (Ocean Course), or $3,000 per foursome on the Lakeside course or $2,000 on the Ocean course.
All proceeds benefit USF Athletics.
For more information, please contact Caitlin Scholz at (415) 422-2875 or cesholz@usfca.edu.
Honoring USF's Best and Brightest
Make your plans to be with us on Sunday, May 6th for the Second Annual Hilltop Awards, honoring the outstanding achievements of USF's student-athletes.
The evening will commence with a reception at 5:30 p.m. in Memorial Gymnasium, followed by the awards ceremony hosted by Pat Olson. Each team will honor two student-athletes followed by the presentation of the University Awards, including the male and female athlete of the year.
The event is open to the public at a cost of $25. Student-athlete sponsorships are also available for $100.
Spring Tour Dates Set
Friends of USF athletics are invited to join Director of Athletics Scott Sidwell along with select USF head coaches and student-athletes at one of the seven stops on this year's Spring Tour schedule. Each evening includes an interactive conversation with Scott and USF coaches on the current state and future of USF athletics. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres, beer, wine and other refreshments will be served.
The Spring Tour will kick off on Tuesday, April 30th with the North Bay stop at the residence of Jack '78 and Sue Boland in San Rafael. Barbara Bechelli will host the San Francisco stop at the new USF Presidio building on May 6 followed by a visit to Southern California on May 15 at the Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, which will be hosted by Phil '64 and Marsha Bartenetti.
The Spring Tour returns to the Bay Area on May 15th for a stop at the Running Rabbit Ranch & Vineyard in Sonoma, hosted by Laura Gaeta Wilson, DDS '83 and Rick Wilson, along with Bill Traverso '67 and Dennis Black '68.
Con Dempsey III '82 will serve as the host for the South Bay stop at NOLA on Thursday, May 16th.
Dennis '63 and Pat Lucey, along with Ollie Johnson '65, Bob Crowley '61, Rick Fischer '65 and Chris Clark '93 will host the East Coast stop in the Washington D.C. area on Tuesday, May 21.
The East Bay tour date is set for Wednesday, May 22 at the Claremont Country Club on Oakland, which will be co-hosted by Dick and Janet Saalfeld of the Class of '65 and Chris '65 and Barbara '66 Westover.
For more information on any of this year's Spring Tour dates, please contact Flynn Ginty at 415-422-6807 or fpginty@usfca.edu. Space is limited.
New Hires
Several new hires have been made in the athletic department over the last six months. Julie Ross assumed the position of Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Student Services in November after spending five years working in the compliance department at Stanford University. Joining Julie on her staff are director of compliance and student services Ryan Merz and coordinator Robert Tigani.
USF also welcomes Katie Morgan as its director of creative video. Katie, who is the driving force behind the “To Be a Don” series, comes to USF after spending 12 years working at Major League Productions in New York. She has also worked on six Olympic Games, earning two Emmy Awards for live coverage.
Monday, May 11
Monday, May 11
Monday, May 11
Saturday, May 09
