University of San Francisco Athletics

Complete notes (PDF)

Aztec Invitational
Sept. 13-14 || San Diego, Calif.
Peterson Gym

Match No. 7: vs. SMU Sept. 13 @ 3 p.m. 5-2, 0-0 American Athletic All-Time vs. Mustangs: 0-0 - First Meeting -

Match No. 8: vs. Northeastern Sept. 13 @ 7 p.m. 3-4, 0-0 Colonial Athletic All-Time vs. Huskies: 0-0 - First Meeting -

Match No. 9: vs. Harvard Sept. 14 @ 2 p.m. 2-0, 0-0 Ivy League All-Time vs. Crimson: 0-0 - First Meeting -

Match No. 10: vs. San Diego State Sept. 14 @ 7:30 p.m. 3-3, 0-0 Mountain West All-Time vs. Aztecs: 1-5 Last Meeting: L 1-3; Sept. 4, 2009

Aztec Invitational Schedule:
- Friday, Sept. 13 -               
SMU vs. USF @ 3 p.m.           
Harvard vs. SDSU @ 5 p.m.           
Northeastern vs. USF @ 7 p.m.  
    
 - Saturday, Sept. 14 -
SMU vs. Harvard @ 10 a.m.
Northeastern vs. SDSU @ 12 p.m.
Harvard vs. USF @ 2 p.m.
Northeastern vs SMU @ 5:30 p.m.
USF vs. SDSU @ 7:30 p.m.

Broadcast Information -
Livestats, boxscores and FREE web streaming will be available for all matches of the Aztec Invitational at goaztecs.com. Links to the San Diego State broadcasts will also be provided at usfdons.com, on the 2013 volleyball schedule.

#WeAreSF
The University of San Francisco women's volleyball heads to San Diego for its last non-conference go-round of the season. The Dons will compete against three teams for the first time in program history - SMU, Northeastern and Harvard - and will meet up with host San Diego State for the seventh time. The Dons will play two matches each on both Friday and Saturday, culminating with an evening meetup with the Aztecs that will be streamed on the Mountain West Network.

Potent Quotables
"It was great to see Valentina (Zaloznik) and Malina (Terrell) shine in the Bay Area Challenge. As our two middles, it's a team effort for us because in order for us to run offense through our middles we have to have good ball control. So our passing did a great job, our defenders did a great job and our setters did a great job to find them. Any time our middles do well, it's a credit to everybody on the team." - associate head coach Ken Ko on the inside play by the Dons

Bay Area Challenge Remix
USF went 1-2 after hosting fierce foes, Long Beach State, Miami and Air Force on the Hilltop. The Dons picked up a straight-set victory, their first of the season, against Air Force in its second match of the challenge slate.

Upperclassmen again led the way for the Dons, with senior Malina Terrell providing team-highs of 45 kills, 10 total blocks and 51.5 points. Junior Valentina Zaloznik was close behind with 38 kills on a .400 attack percentage and six service aces. Other veteran players to pace the team include Mackenzie Murtagh's 69 assists and Rebecca Kopilovitch's 65 digs over the weekend. Kopilovitch, a senior from Israel, has led the Dons' digging defense in each game this season where she's averaging 4.76 digs per set.

Record Watch
Two Dons are climbing the career records lists, seniors Rebecca Kopilovitch and Malina Terrell. Kopilovitch needs 101 more digs to gain possession of fourth in career digs, while Terrell is 67 kills away from passing KeLicia Shorts for 16th on the all-time kills tally:

USF Career Digs Leaders
3. Melanie Kaiser (1988-91)..........1,246
4. Brittanie Budinger (2000-03).....1,191
5. Rebecca Kopilovitch (2010-)....1,091

USF Career Kills Leaders
15. Alix Gombos (2005-08).............824
16. KeLicia Shorts (2002-05).........811
17. Malina Terrell (2010-)...............745

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.

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.