BERKELEY, Calif. – USF's 13th-ranked beach volleyball team split a pair of matches in Berkeley today as the Dons defeated Pacific in five tightly contested games before dropping its first match of the season to California, 4-1.

USF spotted the 18th-ranked Tigers a 2-0 lead in the morning match before winning three straight matches to run its season-opening winning streak to remain unbeaten on the year at 9-0. After dropping three-game matches at the No. 4 and 5 positions to fall behind 0-2, USF's No. 3 team of Courtney Sabahi and Emily Reed got the Dons on the board with a straight game, 21-13, 21-14 victory. The team of Jurja Vlasic and Katarina Pilepic made easy work of Kimmy Whitson and Ali Wilk at the No. 2 position to even the match at 2-2. USF's top tandem of Sara Staengle and Oluoma Okaro downed the Pacific pair of Lexi Elman and Andie Shelton, 24-22 and 23-21 to hand the Dons their ninth consecutive win to start the season.

The Dons winning streak came to an end in the afternoon, as the 19th-ranked Golden Bears downed USF, 4-1. USF's only win in the match was provided by the No. 4 team of Kiara McKibben and Jessica Gaffney, who downed the Cal's Teya Neff and Rachel Wilson, 22-20 and 21-17.

"We faced some tough road conditions today and had to adjust to a different set up and much deeper sand," said USF head coach Gilad Doron. "We showed a lot of toughness and resiliency in fighting back against Pacific and then had a short turnaround to face Cal. I thought we ran out of gas but give Cal the credit for playing a great match.

"I know our pairs will learn from today and get ready for the Stanford match in a few weeks."

USF will return to action on March 28, when the Dons play host to the Stanford Cardinal at Piper Park in Larkspur. Match time is set for 3:00 p.m.

USF (3) vs. Pacific (2) Match Results
5. Dierderich/Holt (UOP) d. Keenan/Gutierrez, 21-7, 10-21, 15-6
4. LaBass/Feiner (UOP) d. Gaffney/McKibben, 16-21, 21-16, 15-10
3. Reed/Sabahi (USF) d. Gotterba/Hess, 21-13, 21-14
2. Vlasic/Pilepic (USF) d. Whitson/Wilk, 21-15, 21-15
1. Staengle/Okaro (USF) d. Elman/Shelton, 24-22, 23-21
 
Exhibition: Cline/Miller (UOP) d. Hirotsu/Miller, 21-12, 21-7

USF (1) at California (4) Match Results
5. Regalia/Shults (Cal) d. Keenan/Gutierrez, 21-17, 22-20
4. McKibben/Gaffney (USF) d. Neff/Wilson, 22-20, 21-17
3. Campbell/Rodberg (Cal) d. Reed/Sabahi, 21-12, 21-14
2. Bark/Lamet (Cal) d. Vlasic/Pilepic, 21-17, 21-17
1. Cola/Merino (Cal) d. Staengle/Okaro, 21-18, 21-17

Exhibition: Furlan/O'Donnell (Cal) d. Hirotsu/Miller, 21-12, 21-11