Watch "The Rise: 45 Years of Female Greatness and Beyond"
The University of San Francisco has been the home of many female pioneers, in the classroom, on the field of competition, and throughout the world. With the help of Title IX legislation, those women have grown a program, and in turn, become a driving force in the history of the Dons.

From some of the first women to suit up in the Green and Gold to USF's first female national champion, this is 45 years of greatness and beyond. "The Rise," chronicles not only the decades since Title IX legislation was signed into law, but also hears from the visionaries at USF that saw the merits in a co-ed education, that also included sports, even before Birch Bayh's Education Amendments of 1972 became the law of the land.

The history of athletics at the University of San Francisco is filled with legendary men's teams, coaches and players. But in the 1960's the story would begin to evolve. Women were on the rise.

"When I came to USF in 1970, they were eager for me in the physical education department to create something, to do something," Professor Emerita Geraldine Lauro remembers. "So anything I suggested was very well received. They came to me and wanted a tennis team, they came to me and wanted a volleyball team, so I pursued that. Some of these girls were highly skilled, and one could see the opportunity for extramural intercollegiate performance. They needed a structure to actualize their potential."

USF's first Dean of Women, Anne Dolan, came to campus in 1964 with the responsibility of overseeing the overall welfare of female students. One of the primary advocates for the first female athletes at USF, Dolan was the visionary in installing athletics for women at the University, and by the mid-70s the course was firmly set.

When Sue Enos-O'Meara received the first female athletic scholarship for the Dons in 1976 it turned another page for the future, and that future got brighter and brighter with the addition of Legends of the Hilltop like Mary Hile-Nepfel.

"I was where I was supposed to be at the right time and Title IX was a big piece of that," reflects Hile-Nepfel, one of the greats in the annals of USF lore, as the all-time leading scorer on the basketball court, male or female. "Everything for myself sort of started to fall into place with the rhythm of the law and the rhythm of more girls wanting to participate. All I was doing was playing the game that I loved for the joy of it. For no other reason."

In 1979 Sandee Hill, a young a passionate assistant athletic director, would arrive on the Hilltop. Her vision and dedication would drive the women's athletic program to a new level. Working for a fledgling program of five sports with only $5,000 in scholarship money, Hill was faced with immediate challenges that she learned to embrace to create change for the better. Ensuring that every woman had equity, opportunities and resources, Hill displayed a vision of persistence and determination that provided inspiration that reached far beyond the courts and fields of competition.

The evolution continued with bringing in Olympians like Sue Rojcewicz and Laurie Corbelli to help lead the basketball and volleyball teams for the Dons. By the mid '80s, the upstart women's soccer program enjoyed their first premier signing in Shanna Haines-Blanchard and the women's basketball team welcomed back their all-time greatest player to the sidelines as co-head coach with her husband, Bill.

Thirsty for success and led by a prolific Don in her own right, USF enjoyed three straight women's basketball conference titles in the '90s and an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance to put the nation on notice that mid-major programs belonged on the biggest stage of competition.

Brittanie Budinger-Howard, along with head coach Jeff Nelson's appearance on the USF volleyball scene, navigated the sport on the Hilltop through the ultimate test of change, the result of which was a national tournament appearance.  USF Hall of Famers and trailblazers Jennifer Heinser and Jessica Potter raised the bar of expectation that translated into successes in tennis and golf as the Dons continued to see their hard work pay off through the 2000s.

The growth has continued through the last decade with Jim Millinder's soccer squads and Jennifer Azzi's women's basketball teams reaching some of their culture-changing goals backed by prolific players.

Current leader of the Dons' track & field and cross country program, Helen Lehman-Winters, has molded her teams into first a conference powerhouse, and now one of national acclaim. Leading the women's cross country team to become a consistent force on the NCAA landscape, and guiding Charlotte Taylor to the very top of the podium has provided an inspiration never seen before now.

"It's extremely important that we continue to pursue the mission of Title IX." Lehman-Winters notes. "It's so empowering to so many young women, and it shapes them in their ability to be effective in whatever it is they do in their future."

"By our honoring those that came before us, it's respect," explains former WCC commissioner and current NCAA vice president of women's basketball. "It is an acknowledgement and a recognition about the roads that they helped pave … the sweat and the tears and the things that they went through and how that then provided opportunities for us today."

As Malina Terrell notes, "I'm extremely grateful for the women who didn't just fight for a woman like myself to be able to play sport at a high level, but for women across the board to be able to do whatever it is that they want."

From a look back on how women began to climb to how they are now able to soar to new heights, not only on the field of competition but in their every pursuit, USF recognizes those who have dedicated themselves to the cause. And USF is proud of all of those who have spent time to thrive – and rise – on the Hilltop.

Here in its early online release, "The Rise" is debuting digitally as the Dons celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day in conjunction with the USF vs. Saint Mary's women's basketball game at 7 p.m. Tonight, the Dons will honor the athletic accomplishments of USF female athletes as well as Koret's intramural teams, with a post-game meet and greet and autograph session and clips of "The Rise" featured throughout the game.

"The Rise" will make its television debut on Saturday at 10 p.m., after a full day of West Coast Conference programming that includes "WCC This Week" at 12:30 p.m., followed by Loyola Marymount vs. Portland at 1 p.m., and later, Saint Mary's vs. San Diego at 6 p.m.

The Dons headline prime time, with USF's men's game at Santa Clara airing at 8 p.m., immediately followed by the cable premiere of the one-hour long feature documentary produced, edited and directed by USF's Emmy-winning videographer Katie Morgan.

NBC Sports California can typically be found on channel 698 for DirecTV customers, 438 on the Dish Network, 412-01 on Dish Hopper packages, 767 on U-Verse and 41 on most Comcast packages. CSN Bay Area can be generally be accessed at channel 40 on Comcast, 41 on the Dish Network, 696 for DirecTV subscribers, and at 770 on U-Verse. Check local listings for your cable provider's station guide and additional air dates and times.

To see other vignettes from those who shaped the USF program, watch fans can watch the "Tuesday Testimonial" series on-demand.