Beach Volleyball | 4/9/2015 11:17:00 AM

San Francisco (8-5) at No. 1 Southern California (15-0)
Thursday • April 9 • 4 p.m.
Merle Norman Stadium • Los Angeles
TV: Pac-12 Networks
 


San Francisco vs. No. 14 Loyola Marymount (2-8)
Thursday • April 9 • 5:30 p.m.
Merle Norman Stadium • Los Angeles
 
USAV Collegiate Challenge
Saturday-Sunday • April 11-12
Hermosa Beach Pier • Hermosa Beach, Calif.
 
The Buzz

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The San Francisco sand volleyball team travels to Southern California in the final weekend of the season. First up, USF takes on the country's top team, the USC Trojans, at 4 p.m. The match will be televised live at 4 p.m., on the Pac-12 Networks. J.B. Long and Holly McPeak.
 
Long, the co-host of Pac-12 Sports Report, serves as a play-by-play commentator for a variety of sports including baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer, and wrestling. McPeak, a highly decorated player indoors and on the sand, is an Olympic bronze medalist (2004, Athens) and NCAA national champion (1990, UCLA). The three-time beach volleyball Olympian owns 72 career beach volleyball titles over the course of her 19-year career on the sand.
 
Then, the Dons will face off with No. 14 Loyola Marymount in a neutral court match on the sand at Merle Norman Stadium. The matchups with both USC and Loyola Marymount on the sand will be the first in program history for the Green and Gold.
 
Over the weekend, the Dons close the regular season in the USAVolleyball Collegiate Challenge. The 10-team tournament features No. 1 USC, No. 2 Hawaii, No. 4 Pepperdine and No. 6 Long Beach State, along with teams from Loyola Marymount, Santa Clara, Boise State, Concordia Irvine and Grand Canyon.
 
The single elimination tournament has the Dons taking on Pepperdine Saturday at 12 p.m., and Long Beach State at 2 p.m.
 
#WeAreSF

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The Dons roll into LA riding a three-match winning streak after victories against Sacramento State, No. 13 Pacific and Cal Poly a week ago. USF's win over the Tigers is the second victory over a ranked opponent in program history, both coming during the 2015 season.
 
USF's current mark of 8-5 stands as the top win tally in the short three-year span of the program. The Dons are currently receiving votes in the DiG Collegiate Sand Volleyball Poll, knocking on the door of its first-ever national ranking.
 
The Dons are carried by their top two tandems, with Courtney Sabahi and Valentina Zaloznik holding a 9-8 record. Jessica Gaffney and Sara Staengle, playing primarily from the No. 2 position, hold an impressive 11-6 mark with three straight-set wins in the Dons' last time on the sand.
 
 
Know the Foe

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Southern California enters the dual with an unblemished 15-0 record, the only undefeated team in the country. The Women of Troy have gone 5-0 in nine out of its 15 dual matches, and is 67-8 overall in individual matches on the year. Along with standing as the first match between USF and USC on the sand, it is just the second time the two have met in a volleyball match. The lone meeting came indoors at the USF-hosted PowerBar Invitational in 1998, with the Trojans taking the 3-0 result.
 
The Dons have also never faced off with Loyola Marymount on the sand, despite a long-standing series indoors. The Lions hold the 45-16 all-time record on the hardwood. Loyola Marymount enters today's matches with a 2-8 overall record, and a string of three-straight defeats.
 
Get Connected

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Fans can keep up on the latest in USF Athletics in a variety of ways.
Follow USF Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ DonsAthletics
Follow USF volleyball on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/University.of.SanFrancisco.Volleyball
Check out video of the Dons in action at www.youtube.com/usfdonsathletics or tune in to Comcast SportsNet California for USF's monthly cable feature series, "Behind the Mask". Check local listings for air times and dates.