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Hermosa Beach

Beach Volleyball

Dons Compete at USAV Collegiate Challenge

Final Dual Results | Final Pairs Results | USAV Collegiate Challenge Recap - Day 1 | USAV Collegiate Challenge Recap - Day 2

HERMOSA BEACH, Calif. – The San Francisco sand volleyball team took part in USA Volleyball's Collegiate Beach Challenge Saturday and Sunday in sunny Southern California.

One of the highlights of the weekend came in pairs play, as USF's No. 5 duo of Katarina Pilepic and Emily Reed downed Boise State's No. 4 pair in a tight battle. The Dons took the 21-17, 12-21, 15-12 victory over Laney Hayes and Taylor Murphey to advance to the third round in the bronze bracket. 
The Dons conclude the regular season with an 8-9 mark in dual match play, the highest win tally in USF's three seasons on the sand. Playing a stout schedule, USF faced seven ranked opponents on the 2015 schedule.

USF dropped two tough matches against top-ranked opponents in duals, falling to No. 4-ranked Pepperdine 5-0 in Saturday's opening match. Then, the Dons took on Long Beach State, No. 6 in the AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball Poll.

In the Dons' matchup against the 49ers, USF's stretched four of its five matches to a third set. At the Nos. 4 and 5 positions, the Dons rallied after first-set losses to even the score in the second, before their opponents eventually came away with the point. For the No. 3 pairing of Kiara McKibben and Oluoma Okaro, the duo won the first in extra action by a mark of 24-22. Long Beach State's pair of Jenelle Hudson and Bre Mackie rallied for the win in the second before eventually taking the point after a 15-8 third set.

At No. 2, Jessica Gaffney and Sara Staengle found themselves in a deficit after dropping the first set. A hotly-contested second set went the way of the Dons, 26-24, before the 49ers came back to take the point.
 
No. 4 Pepperdine 5, San Francisco 0
Hermosa Beach, Calif. | April 11
No. 1 – Lara Dykstra/Becca Strehlow (PEP) def. Courtney Sabahi/Valentina Zaloznik (USF); 25-23, 21-12
No. 2 – Kelley Larsen/Kellie Woolever (PEP) def. Jessica Gaffney/Sara Staengle (USF); 21-6, 21-15
No. 3 – Emily Cook/Delaney Knudsen (PEP) def. Kiara McKibben/Oluoma Okaro (USF); 21-12, 21-11
No. 4 – Sophie Asprey/Katie Messing (PEP) def. Katarina Pilepic/Emily Reed (USF); 21-9, 21-11
No. 5 – Corinne Quiggle/Taylor Racich (PEP) def. Jessica Keenan/Anja Segota (USF); 21-7, 21-9
 
No. 6 Long Beach State, San Francisco 0
Hermosa Beach, Calif. | April 11
No. 1 – Dalainey Aigner-Swesey/Chelsea Cabrajac (LBSU) def. Courtney Sabahi/Valentina Zaloznik (USF); 21-15, 21-10
No. 2 – Anete Brinke/Tyler Jackson (LBSU) def. Jessica Gaffney/Sara Staengle (USF); 21-9, 24-26, 15-8
No. 3 – Jenelle Hudson/Bre Mackie (LBSU) def. Kiara McKibben/Oluoma Okaro (USF); 22-24, 21-13, 15-8
No. 4 – Andrea McHugh/Ciana Wagner (LBSU) def. Katarina Pilepic/Emily Reed (USF); 21-15, 20-22, 15-11
No. 5 – Rachel Nieto/Sammee Thomas (LBSU) def. Jessica Keenan/Anja Segota (USF); 21-15, 20-22, 15-11
 
Pairs Brackets
Gold Bracket –
1st Rd: Dugan/Phelps (Grand Canyon 1) def. Courtney Sabahi/Valentina Zaloznik (USF 1); 21-13, 21-8
 
Silver Bracket –
1st Rd (4/11): Alex Green/Brooke Razo (Grand Canyon 3) def. Kiara McKibben/Oluoma Okaro (USF 3); 21-12, 21-12
2nd Rd: Sara Baugh/Sierra Nobley (Boise State 2) def. Jessica Gaffney/Sara Staengle (USF 2); 22-20, 19-21, 15-10
 
Bronze Bracket –
1st Rd (4/11): Becca Conrad/Alex Goodman (Grand Canyon 5) def. Jessica Keenan/Anja Segota (USF 5); 21-12, 21-17
2nd Rd: Katarina Pilepic/Emily Reed (USF 5) def. Laney Hayes/Taylor Murphey (Boise State 4); 21-17, 12-21, 15-12
3rd Rd: Nicolette Martin/Allie Wheeler (USC 4) def. Pilepic/Reed (USF 5); 21-6, 21-11

 
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Players Mentioned

Jessica Gaffney

#12 Jessica Gaffney

Outside/Opposite Hitter, Middle Blocker
6' 1"
Freshman
Jessica Keenan

#22 Jessica Keenan

Defensive Specialist/Libero
5' 6"
Junior
Kiara McKibben

#11 Kiara McKibben

Setter
5' 10"
Sophomore
Oluoma Okaro

#20 Oluoma Okaro

Middle Blocker/Opposite Hitter
6' 1"
Freshman
Katarina Pilepic

#3 Katarina Pilepic

Opposite/Outside Hitter
6' 0"
Sophomore
Emily Reed

#8 Emily Reed

Outside Hitter
5' 10"
Sophomore
Courtney Sabahi

#10 Courtney Sabahi

Opposite Hitter
5' 10"
Junior
Anja Segota

#14 Anja Segota

Opposite/Outside Hitter
6' 2"
Senior
Sara Staengle

#4 Sara Staengle

Outside/Opposite Hitter
6' 1"
Junior
Valentina Zaloznik

#2 Valentina Zaloznik

Middle Blocker
6' 4"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Jessica Gaffney

#12 Jessica Gaffney

6' 1"
Freshman
Outside/Opposite Hitter, Middle Blocker
Jessica Keenan

#22 Jessica Keenan

5' 6"
Junior
Defensive Specialist/Libero
Kiara McKibben

#11 Kiara McKibben

5' 10"
Sophomore
Setter
Oluoma Okaro

#20 Oluoma Okaro

6' 1"
Freshman
Middle Blocker/Opposite Hitter
Katarina Pilepic

#3 Katarina Pilepic

6' 0"
Sophomore
Opposite/Outside Hitter
Emily Reed

#8 Emily Reed

5' 10"
Sophomore
Outside Hitter
Courtney Sabahi

#10 Courtney Sabahi

5' 10"
Junior
Opposite Hitter
Anja Segota

#14 Anja Segota

6' 2"
Senior
Opposite/Outside Hitter
Sara Staengle

#4 Sara Staengle

6' 1"
Junior
Outside/Opposite Hitter
Valentina Zaloznik

#2 Valentina Zaloznik

6' 4"
Senior
Middle Blocker