BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The 13th-ranked San Francisco beach volleyball team battled not only the Roadrunners, but also took on windy and rainy conditions on the sand before coming away with the 4-1 win on Thursday at Barnes Beach Volleyball Complex.

"I'm proud of our team performance today, and we got to see how each player continues to improve from match to match," noted co-head coach Gilad Doron after the victorious effort.

USF now stands at 13-2 on the year, and continues to sport its No. 13 ranking in the DiG Magazine poll all while receiving votes in the NCAA's top 10 poll. Meanwhile, Bakersfield falls to 2-11 on the season

The Dons jumped on the board first as the No. 4 duo of Jessica Gaffney and Kiara McKibben continued their impressive run through the season. The pairing improved their record to 14-1 on the year after notching its sixth consecutive straight-set win. The tandem of Jessica Keenan and Kim Gutierrez were next to notch a team point, battling Ally Barber and Kayla Tinker for the 21-8, 18-31, 15-8 victory.

Bakersfield got on the board after earning the win at No. 1, but it would prove to be their only point of the day. USF's No. 2 pair of Katarina Pilepic and Jurja Vlasic clenched the match with their 18-21, 21-12, 15-7 win, and the No. 3 tandem of Emily Reed and Courtney Sabahi tacked on the fourth point for the Dons, also going to three sets.

The middle of the USF lineup has been stout all season, and proves to be a challenge for every opponent. Combined, the Nos. 2, 3, and 4 pairs are 38-6 on the year.

Next, the Dons travel to Hermosa Beach to participate in the USAV Collegiate Challenge this weekend. USF takes on No. 4 UCLA at 10:30 a.m., and faces off against Concordia at 1 p.m. in Saturday's dual match action. Pairs bracket play also begins on Saturday, and will continue through Sunday.
 

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No. 13 San Francisco 4, CSU Bakersfield 1
No. 1 – Sydney Haynes/Carol Grasso (CSUB) def. Oluoma Okaro/Sara Staengle (USF) 21-15, 21-17
No. 2 – Katarina Pilepic/Jurja Vlasic (USF) def. Edithza Urias/Jocelyn Rodriguez (CSUB) 18-21, 21-12, 15-7
No. 3 – Emily Reed/Courtney Sabahi (USF) def. Sophie Flemion/Kelsee Sawyer (CSUB) 21-15, 21-23, 15-6
No. 4 – Jessica Gaffney/Kiara McKibben (USF) def. Kortney Freeland/Amanda Schoene (CSUB) 21-10, 21-16
No. 5 – Jessica Keenan/Kim Gutierrez (USF) def. Ally Barber/Kayla Tinker (CSUB) 21-8, 18-21, 15-8
Exh. – Lisa Armendariz/Katie Dunbar-Lowe (CSUB) def. Kellie Hirotsu/Dane Miller (USF) 21-15, 18-21, 15-13