THIS WEEK
Match #16 San Francisco vs. Saint Mary's
Tuesday, Sept. 27, 7:00 p.m. | War Memorial at the Sobrato Center
Live Stats | Video | Tickets
Match #17 San Francisco at Portland
Thursday, Sept. 29, 7 p.m. | Chiles Center
Live Stats | Video
Match #18 San Francisco at Gonzaga
Saturday, Oct. 1, 12 p.m. | McCarthey Athletic Center
Live Stats
Last Weekend's Recap
San Francisco (4-11, 0-2 WCC) was on the road just a couple of days ago, as the opening weekend of West Coast Conference action pinned USF at No. 7 San Diego and No. 13 BYU.
The Dons dropped a straight set (25-16, 25-16, 25-7) loss to the Toreros at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. USF struggled to stop a balanced attack as USD hit .427 for the match.
On the back end of the roadtrip, USF traveled to Provo, Utah for a tough contest against BYU. The Dons ultimately fell to the Cougars, 25-15, 25-16, 25-10. The Green and Gold fought hard until the end, but could not overcome the efficient offense and powerful defense of BYU. USF could only gather 26 kills in the contest, while the Cougars totaled 42 and a .440 hitting percentage.
Tyna Adamcikova compiled a team-high 22 kills in the two losses while senior Emily Reed collected 18 kills. The Dons displayed a duo of Trish Koutsoukos and Shannon Levinson at the setter position. Koutsoukos delivered 27 assists (16 vs. BYU) and Levinson totaled 21 dimes to help operate the offense.
Defensively, Kim Gutierrez once again led the Dons backcourt with a total of 17 digs over the two games. Marjolijn Oskam was the focal point of the frontcourt, as the 6-4 middle blocker collected three block assists.
Busy Week Ahead
The Dons return to the Hilltop for a slated match against Bay Area rivals, Saint Mary's (6-7, 1-1 WCC). The Gaels are coming off a tough four-set loss to Portland at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga. SMC claimed its first conference win in the opener versus Gonzaga. The Gaels are averaging 12.79 kills/set, as the offense is paced by Lindsey Knudsen's 140 kills (2.98 k/set). Sarah Chase (126 kills) and Lindsey Chase (114 kills) round out the Gaels who have more than 100 kills.
After the brief stay at home, the Dons will be on the move again- this time for a trip up the Pacific Northwest.
The first stop for USF will be at Portland (8-6, 1-1 WCC) on Sept. 29. The Pilots are coming off an impressive road win at Saint Mary's. The first conference loss for Portland came versus Pacific, as the Pilots dropped a 3-1 decision against the Tigers. Portland is led by Hannah Troutman's 195 kills and Katie Sullivan's 118 kills. The Pilots are averaging 11.93 k/set and 2.05 blocks/set.
In the week's finale, the Dons will face off against Gonzaga (7-5, 0-2 WCC). The Zags have dropped their first two conference matches (at Saint Mary's and Pacific). GU is averaging 13.1 k/set and an impressive 2.4 blocks/set. Gonzaga's McKayla Ferris and Emmy Allen each have 169 kills to lead the offense. The Bulldogs also have three different players with triple-digit totals in digs- Tiyana Hallums (159), Faith Smith (121) and Ferris (112).
Who's leading the Dons?
Through 53 total sets, Adamcikova leads the USF offense with 185 kills (3.49 k/set). The freshman pin hitter also has 25 service aces and 98 digs to help the defense. Reed continues to produce an impressive senior season as she is second on the squad with 175 kills (3.31 k/set).
Defensively, USF's back line is led by Kim Gutierrez's 153 digs. Freshman Kate Ashman has 37 total blocks to tag-team alongside Oskam, who has 45 blocks.
Home Sweet Home
After the busy second week of WCC play, USF will open a three-game homestand over the next two weeks. The Dons will open the stand versus Santa Clara on Friday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. The Green and Gold will then host Pepperdine (Oct. 13) and LMU (Oct. 15) at the HIlltop, with all matches streamed live on TheW.TV.
