Women's Volleyball | 9/17/2015 10:49:00 AM

Complete Challenge Notes (PDF)
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Match 11: USF (10-0, 0-0) vs. Yale (4-2, 0-0 Ivy) | Friday, Sept. 18 | 6:30 p.m.
All-time vs. Bulldogs: 2-0 • 1-0 home
Current streak: W2
Last meeting: 09/26/98 (H) • W, 3-0 | 15-13, 15-9, 15-13

Match 12: USF vs. Cal State Fullerton (0-9, 0-0 Big West) | Saturday, Sept. 19 | 12:30 p.m.
All-time vs. Titans: 4-1 • 1-0 home
Current streak: W1
Last meeting: 09/19/08 (A) • W, 3-1

Match 13: USF vs. North Dakota State (7-3, 0-0 Summit League) | Saturday, Sept. 19 | 7 p.m.
All-time vs. Bison: First meeting
Current streak: --

#15sports1team

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After winning the title in its first three tournaments of the season - the San Francisco Invitational, the Utah State Gossner Invitational and the St. John's Kaiser Classic - the Dons look to capitalize on a 10-match winning streak as the team hosts its second tournament of the season.

San Francisco Challenge Schedule

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Friday, Sept. 18
4 p.m.  • North Dakota State vs. CS Fullerton
6:30 p.m. • USF vs. Yale

Saturday, Sept. 19
10:30 a.m. • North Dakota State vs. Yale
12:30 p.m. • USF vs. Cal State Fullerton
4:30 p.m. • Cal State Fullerton vs. Yale
7 p.m. • USF vs. North Dakota State

What 2 Watch 4

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The Dons are scorching the NCAA leaderboards, finding themselves in the top 20 in four categories as a team. USF is outhitting opponents .296 to .115, ranking first in the West Coast Conference and 11th in the nation in hitting percentage. Stout on the block, USF rates first in the league in blocks (102.0) and blocks per set (3.00), and their total blocks tally is 13th in the NCAA.

Three Dons have accumulated at least 100 points on the season, with Katarina Pilepic's 123 kills leading the offense. Freshman Madison Murtagh has been a presence at the net, compiling 49 total blocks to rate 22nd nationally, and first in the WCC. She also leads the conference in hitting percentage with a mark of .434, which stands at 26th in the NCAA.

Junior Kiara McKibben paces the team with 255 assists for the Dons, and her career tally of 1,627 assists rates at 10th-best in USF history. Libero Kim Gutierrez leads the squad with 137 digs, or 4.03 per set.

Know the Foes

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Yale enters the weekend with a 4-2 record, and the Bulldogs are riding a three-match winning streak after capturing the title at the Colgate Classic last weekend. Sophomore setter Kelsey Crawford was named tournament MVP, with Kelly Johnson and Kelley Wirth earning selection to the all-tournament team. Johnson leads the offense with 82 kills, Crawford has assisted on 224 plays on the year and Wirth posted a team-high 14 kills in Yale's title-clinching match over Colgate. 

Cal State Fullerton is still seeking its first win in the 2015 season, standing at 0-9 under first year head coach Ashley Preston. The Titans are paced by a trio of Kyra Hill (71 K), Summer Kerina (66 K), and Kandace Thomas (62 K, .239 pct.) with Mackenzie Olsen taking primary setting duties. This is the sixth meeting in the all-time series between the two squads, where USF owns the 4-1 advantage.

North Dakota State sports a 7-3 record heading into the weekend on the Hilltop. The Bison currently rank 3rd in kills (524) in the nation, and individually, 5-11 outside hitter Jenni Fassbender stands in 50th in kills (142) & 53rd in attacks (393). This will be the first meeting between USF and North Dakota State.

Last Time Out

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The Dons took care of St. John's in straight sets to capture the St. John's Jack Kaiser Classic crown. As a team, the Dons outhit the Red Storm .330 to .115, and a trio of Dons finished the final match with double-digit point scoring. 

Katarina Pilepic finished with 12 kills on .409 hitting and four blocks, Madison Murtagh added 10 kills on .438 hitting and five blocks, and Oluoma Okaro's nine-kill, six-block effort helped USF to its second-best start in program history. Pilepic Okaro and sophomore libero Kim Gutierrez were rewarded for their individual performances on the weekend, with Gutierrez' 4.15 digs per set average earning her Most Valuable Player honors.

Let's Go Streaking

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The only other time in school history the Dons have posted a 10-0 start to the season was in 2003, when USF opened up the year 15-0 before going on to notch a 23-8 overall record while earning the program's first NCAA bid.

The last 10-game winning streak came in 2008, USF's other NCAA season, when the DOns rolled through the final three non-conference games and the first seven WCC contests, including wins against then-No. 15 San Diego, No. 18 Santa Clara and No. 15 Pepperdine.

Tournament Award Winners

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Winning begets awards, and the Dons have been amassing individual accolades throughout the non-conference tournament slate:

USF Invitational
Katarina Pilepic - Most Valuable Player
39 kills, 23 digs, 7 total blocks 
Madison Murtagh - 19 total blocks
Kim Gutierrez - 39 digs

Utah State Invitational
Madison Murtagh - Most Valuable Player
27 kills, .434 hitting, 15 total blocks
Katarina Pilepic - 41 kills, .321 hitting
Jessica Gaffney - 29 kills, 22 digs, 5 aces

St. John's Jack Kaiser Classic
Kim Gutierrez - Most Valuable Player
54 digs, 4.15 digs per set
Katarina Pilepic - 43 kills
Oluoma Okaro - 35 kills, .441 hitting, 21 blocks

Preseason Poll

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The Dons were selected to finish tied for eighth in the West Coast Conference's annual preseason poll. USF received 22 points in the poll, alongside Saint Mary's and above Portland. After a record-setting march to the 2014 NCAA National Championship match, BYU was picked as the unanimous favorite to win the 2015 crown.

A Look Ahead

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The Dons have a stout start to league action as top-25 teams BYU and San Diego come to the Hilltop to open West Coast Conference play on Sept. 24 and 26. 

Get Connected

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Fans can follow the Dons in a variety of ways:
• Via the departmental Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat with the username donsathletics.
• Through team-specific Twitter (@USFDonsVB) and Facebook (University.of.San.Francisco.Volleyball)
• On YouTube at USFDonsAthletics, where fans can view video segments online
• On Comcast SportsNet California in USF Athletics' monthly show, "Behind the Mask"
• With previews, recaps, videos, features and more as seen on USFDons.com