SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The San Francisco Dons sand volleyball team split a pair of matches Friday at Sacramento State, taking the 4-1 win from the host Hornets and dropping a close 3-2 decision to Boise State Friday.

The Dons opened the day against the Broncos and jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the pairing of Jessica Keenan and Anja Segota took to the sand for the first time of the season. USF's duo took the hard-fought 21-14, 14-21, 15-7 win over Boise State's pair of Laney Hayes and Taylor Murphey while the No. 5 pair of Katarina Pilepic and Emily Reed also earned the point for the Dons. Pilepic and Reed dispatched opponents Jaymee Bulda and Maddi Osburn in quick sets, 21-14, 21-16.

Unfortunately for USF, Boise State went on to win in straight sets at the Nos. 2 and 3 positions and the Dons' top duo of Courtney Sabahi and Valentina Zaloznik were edged in a three-set match as USF fell 3-2 in the tournament's opening match.

In the second dual of the day, the Dons dispatched the host team, 4-1, led by solid play up and down the lineup. The Dons won two-set matches at Nos. 2, 4, and 5, and Sabahi and Zaloznik pulled out the three-set win from the top spot on the sand to take the decisive victory. The win against Sacramento State avenges a 4-1 loss at the hands of the Hornets in the opening weekend of the season at the NorCal Invitational.

USF's pairings of Keenan and Segota, and Pilepic and Reed each took wins in both of their matches on the day, both firsts on the sand this season. With the two-match split, the Green and Gold now stands at 6-5 on the season.

The Dons continue play at the Sacramento State Invitational Saturday, taking on Pacific at 1 p.m., followed by a match with Cal Poly at 4 p.m., from the Sacramento Softball Complex.
 

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Boise State 3, San Francisco 2
No. 1 – Hannah Hubbard/Maddy O'Donnell (BSU) def. Courtney Sabahi/Valentina Zaloznik (USF); 21-18, 8-21, 10-15
No. 2 – Sarah Baugh/Sienna Nobley (BSU) def. Jessica Gaffney/Sara Staengle (USF); 19-21, 19-21
No. 3 – Kalelyn Kinghorn/Aly Ouffin (BSU) def. Kiara McKibben/Oluoma Okaro (USF); 24-22, 21-14
No. 4 – Jessica Keenan/Anja Segota (USF) def. Laney Hayes/Taylor Murphey (BSU); 21-14, 14-21, 15-7
No. 5 – Katarina Pilepic/Emily Reed (USF) def. Jaymee Bulda/Maddi Osburn (BSU) 21-14, 21-16
 
San Francisco 4, Sacramento State 1
No. 1 – Courtney Sabahi/Valentina Zaloznik (USF) def. Kayla Beal/Sloan Lovett (SAC); 12-21, 21-12, 15-13
No. 2 – Jessica Gaffney/Sara Staengle (USF) def. Maddie Cannon/Maegan Stanley (SAC); 21-18, 21-17
No. 3 – Shannon Boyle/Lexie Skalbeck (SAC) def. Kiara McKibben/Oluoma Okaro (USF); 21-17, 23-25, 15-12
No. 4 – Jessica Keenan/Anja Segota (USF) def. Lauren Ackels/Lauren Kissell (SAC); 21-14, 21-17
No 5 – Katarina Pilepic/Emily Reed (USF) def. Kennedy Kurtz/Brigitte Murdock (SAC); 21-11, 22-20