SAN FRANCISCO – In four fall events, the University of San Francisco women's golf team finished no higher than eighth and boasted two top-three finishes, including a second place finish in the final event of the season.  The result, expectations are sky-high for the spring season after the Dons exceeded their own expectations in a stellar fall campaign.
 
"This fall was remarkable for us," said head coach Sara Doell. "The team came back from the summer ready to go and excited. For the first four events, we had the same line-up as we did all of last year and they came back in a stronger mindset with a lot more confidence. To go from being ranked 118 at the end of last year to 65 at the end of this fall is a testament to their effort. That being said, we still let shots out there. We finished second in our last event of the fall- one we had our eye on the win and I believe that will be a guiding force for this team as they work hard in the off season. The best is yet to come!"
 
USF opened the fall finishing in eighth place at the Minnesota Invitational. In that event Pearl Rojanapeansatith finished tied for 17^th, a trend that would continue.  In all four tournaments the Dons had at least one player finish in the top-20, with four players finishing in the top-10 in the final three tournaments.
 
The Dons were led by sophomore Annika Borrelli, in four tournaments the native of Alamo, Calif., posted an average score of 74 to lead the Dons. She also led USF with 36 birdies in the fall and recorded four rounds at par or better.  Borrelli boasted top-10 finishes at the Ptarmigan Ram Classic (third) and the Las Vegas Collegiate Invitational (sixth) but her best performance came at the WSU Cougar Cup where she finished tied for 16^th with a 1-under 215 – her first collegiate round under par. 
 
"Annika came off of a remarkable summer where she won the Utah women's Open at 9-under par," said Doell. "I am proud of her efforts in all areas of her game- including her work on being more mentally tough, stronger in the gym and really paying attention to how she is fueling herself. Her confidence and demeanor on the golf course is key in her success."
 
The only player to record more rounds at par or better than Borelli in the fall was senior co-captain Samantha Gong.  Gong finished the fall season with six rounds at par or better. More importantly is how Gong finished the fall season – after falling outside the top-20 in the first three tournaments, the native of San Francisco carded back-to-back top-10 finishes. At the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown, she finished tied for sixth and carded nine birdies to give her 32 for the season.
 
"Sam is our silent leader who proves herself through action," said Doell. "She is very strong, hits it far and has matured tremendously on the golf course. She makes smart and thoughtful choices in competition and knows when she should go for it and when she should lay back and be conservative. I am excited to guide her into her last semester here and know she will leave a strong legacy her at USF."
 
Junior Pearl Rojanapeansatith made tremendous strides this fall. Her average round score of 74.8 is on pace to be a career best.  More importantly is how she finished tournaments this fall.  In the final round, Rojanapeansatith boasts a third round score of 71.6.  At the Ptarmigan Ram Classic, she finished the tournament with a 4-over 220 battling harsh conditions for her first career top-10 finish.
 
"Pearl came back from Thailand with her golf game much more fine-tuned than previous years and it showed in her results," said Doell. "She finished the fall with a 1-under par 71 after a tough start at UNLV which helped end her fall with confidence. She continues to work hard in the gym and is looking to make gains this winter to keep her on track. "
 
Sophomore Jade Siphomsay saw her game make a big leap this fall.  After appearing in all 10 events as a freshman with an average round score of 77.7, this season she boasted an average round score of 75.3 and was routinely in the top-30 for USF including a career-best top-12 finish at the Ptarmigan Ram Classic.
 
"Jades transformation from last spring to this fall was inspiring," said Doell. "Last year she struggled with a strong grip and a bit of a pull hook at times. There was virtually no sign of that this year. She took what we worked on at the end of last year and came back with a much more repeatable and consistent golf swing. It holds us under pressure and she proved it with such an impressive fall."
 
Joan Soewondo has continued to be a mainstay in the Dons lineup, her four tournament appearances in the fall gives her 23 career appearances for USF.  Her best appearance came at the WSU Cougar Cup – a NCAA Regional Site.  She finished that tournament with a career-best 11 birdies.
 
"Joan started out strong this fall with solid play in our first three events," said Doell. "She shot an even par 72 in the first round of the WSU Cougar Cup which helped the team to one of its best performances as we finished 6th in the best field we saw all fall. While she struggled toward the end of the fall, we have identified some areas she can work on to move her game forward. I'm excited to see her bounce back"
 
Freshman Toni Sottile made her collegiate debut at the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown and did not disappoint.  In her final round she carded a 2-under 70, her first collegiate round under par. She also carded nine birdies in her debut tournament, which was tied for 11^th most among the talented field.
 
"Toni only made the line up in the last event of the fall as she qualified to compete at the UNLV Las Vegas Showdown," said Doell. "Her energy in that event was infectious as she was so excited to be on the road with the team. She is very mentally tough and ended her first collegiate event with a team low 70 in the final round helping guide us to a second place finish."
 
Hannah Zeman and Carley Hopton did not appear in any tournaments for the Dons this fall, but that does not diminish their contributions to the program.  Zeman pushed the Dons' each week trying to break into the lineup, which helped make the Dons lineup more mentally tough come competition time.  At the same time, her game steadily improved.
 
"Hannah came in as a freshman and pushed our team to be better," said Doell. "She finished one shot out of making the lineup in the first event showing that she is prepared and ready. While she did not compete for us this fall, I have seen progress in her game, her mental approach and believe she will make even more of an impact this spring."
 
Carley Hopton is the Dons other captain and her contributions to the program go far beyond her performance on the golf course.  Coach Doell raves about her leadership abilities, Hopton is the Dons vocal leader, whether it be in the gym workouts or on the practice range. She takes to heart the Dons Four Pillars – often organizing events to volunteer in the community and with her busy schedule still excels in the classroom.
 
"Carley was named co-captain for her senior year and has proven her leadership skills again and again," said Doell. "While Carley has not competed in the lineup for us, she has made us better in other ways. She is always the first to show up in the gym, has excelled in the classroom this fall and has been a constant leader for us. She is our volunteer coordinator and helped us in giving back to the community by setting up outreach opportunities with the First Tee, Best Buddies, Harper for Kids and Teach for the Cure. I look forward to seeing Carley finish out her collegiate career and I know that she will always be a positive representation for the Dons."
 
The Dons will return to action in February when they begin their spring schedule.