University of San Francisco Athletics

Complete tournament notes (PDF)

Blue Raider Bash || Alumni Memorial Gym
Murphreesboro, Tenn. || Aug. 30-31

Match No. 1: at MTSU Aug. 30 @ 2:30 p.m. PT 0-0, 0-0 C-USA All-time vs. MTSU: 1-0 Last meeting: W, 3-0 Sept. 14, 1996

Match No. 2: vs. North Carolina Aug. 31 @ 11:30 a.m. PT 0-0, 0-0 ACC All-time vs. UNC: 1-0 Last meeting: W, 3-2 Sept. 3, 2005

Match No. 3: vs. Notre Dame Aug. 31 @ 3 p.m. 0-0, 0-0 ACC All-time vs. ND: 2-0 Last meeting: W, 3-2 Oct. 21, 1991

Broadcast information: Web stream and live stats available at GoBlueRaiders.com/gamecentral

#WeAreSF
The University of San Francisco women's volleyball season commences with three games in the Blue Raider Bash against some top-notch competition out of the ACC and Conference-USA. Up first, the Dons will usher in the year against host Middle Tennessee on Friday, before two Saturday matches against North Carolina and Notre Dame, both of the Atlantic Coast Conference. With limited experience against all three opponents, the last time the Dons faced off against anyone in the tournament field was nearly eight years ago, picking up its only win against UNC.

USF returns to the hilltop next weekend, as it hosts Long Beach State, Air Force and Miami (FL) in the Bay Area Challenge. The ACC, which also boasts Miami as a member institution, will make up nearly one-third of the Dons' non-conference slate.

Potent Quotables
"It's going to be a fantastic tournament. Some great teams are going to be there and we have been working very hard to get to this point. We have so many options and I think that's really been exciting to see different players step up into different roles. No one is typecast at this point so we have a lot of flexibility and I think that really gives our team a lot of strength. The sky's the limit."  - Ken Ko, Associate Head Coach

Experience Matters
Upperclassmen leadership and experience will guide the steadily-improving 2013 San Francisco volleyball team. Fresh off two consecutive 16-13 seasons under the direction of USF volleyball's winningest coach in program history, Gilad Doron, the Dons will look to parlay its experienced core into an NCAA Tournament berth.

USF returns three starters and an award-winning libero from the 2012 starting lineup, led offensively by junior Valentina Zaloznik. The native of Ljubno ob Savinji, Slovenia, led the Dons with a .326 hitting percentage and a team-high 78 total blocks in 2012. Senior Malina Terrell also looks to have a breakthrough year to close her collegiate campaign. Terrell, from Richmond, Calif., was an All-WCC first team performer in 2011. After missing out on honors as a junior, Terrell ratcheted up her intensity in the spring to get back on and in the minds of foes.

Ester de Vries, a WCC All-Freshman team selection last season is recovering from injuries that left her sidelined for the sand season in the spring. The sophomore from Heerlen, Netherlands, de Vries is looking to regain her form from an outstanding freshman season that saw her second on the team in kills (355) and points (404).

Defense Wins Championships
Defense was the Dons' bread and butter in the 2012 campaign, led by West Coast Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year, Rebecca Kopilovitch. The Dons were second in the WCC in digs per set (15.66) to go along with a fourth-place finish in opponent hitting percentage, holding teams to a .209 percentage for the season.

Kopilovitch, a senior libero from Israel, led the league with 522 digs and turned in the third-best season performance for a USF player. Through two seasons for the Dons she can boast an average of 4.63 digs per set, second on the career standings, and has tallied 972 total digs, good for ninth all-time.

Set for Success
USF welcomes a new setter to the starting lineup in 2013, and has a trio prepared to take the reigns after the loss of Leanna Ludes. Mackenzie Murtagh, a senior and San Francisco native, saw some time at the position in the previous two seasons and she was second on the 2012 squad in assists (136).

Sophomore Jurja Vlasic brings passion and leadership to the floor for the Dons, and newcomer Kiara McKibben enters the program as a second-team Under Armor All-American setter. Keying on trust, confidence, leadership and chemistry can propel any of these three to become an effective floor manager for the USF offense.

Schedule Tested – Conference Prepared
All told, the Dons will compete against a stacked schedule featuring 10 NCAA tournament teams from a year ago, comprising more than half of USF's 19 opponents for the 2013 season. USF will play 16 of its 28 matches against teams that made the NCAA field of 64 in 2012. Included in the mix are postseason perennials North Carolina and Long Beach State, new ACC member Notre Dame and Mountain West co-champion San Diego State, along with the always stout West Coast Conference slate.

Preseason Polls
Junior middle blocker Valentina Zaloznik was named to the 2013 Preseason All-WCC Team, one of 10 women selected by the 10 league coaches. The Dons were picked to finish eighth on the year, garnering 32 total points and sitting one point behind league newcomer, Pacific. BYU topped the poll with five first-place votes and 74 total points, closely followed by San Diego (73 pts) and Saint Mary's (69 pts).
 
Home is Where the Heart Is
... and for the USF volleyball team, their heart is in the City by the Bay. All told, the Dons have traveled more the 53,220 miles from Hometown to the Hilltop and represent six countries, and three states.