University of San Francisco Athletics

SARATOGA, Calif. — The 2019 beach volleyball season opened Friday with plenty of sunshine in the South Bay, as the San Francisco beach volleyball team split two matches on the campus of West Valley College, downing Feather River College, 5-0, and falling to host San Jose State, 4-1.
 
Preseason All-West Coast Conference honoree Anna Dalla Vecchia and partner Carly Lowry were perfect on the day, going 2-0 with two sweeps for USF (1-1) at the No. 1 pairs spots. The duo beat San Jose State's top pair of Caitlin Bettenay and Tabea Schwarz, 21-15, 21-18, to start the afternoon. They then defeated Feather River College's Chloe Hampton and Mere Nagase, 21-9, 21-19.
 
Though San Jose State won each pair from No. 2 to No. 5 with 2-0 sweeps, San Francisco challenged at nearly every pairs spot in the second set. The Dons played into extra points in the second set at the No. 2, 3 and 4 pairs spots. Camille Araujo and Victoria Rogers made a 10-point turnaround in set two, pushing it to 22-20 before falling. Ella Reames and Moana To'oto'o – both making their San Francisco debuts on the sand Friday – played back-to-back close sets at the No. 3 pairs, falling 21-18 and 22-20. Madelyn LaFollette and Emily Zinger also challenged at the No. 4 spot against the Spartans, pushing it to 22-20 in the second set.
 
"We got better with each set today," said San Francisco head coach Shane Tye. "Once each pair played a set, we were in most matches. Lowry and Dalla Vecchia showed their experience and teamwork with two solid matches."
 
All three of those pairs – Araujo and Rogers, Reames and To'oto'o, and LaFollette and Zinger – were victorious in their second match of the day against Feather River College, as USF swept the Golden Eagles. LaFollette and Zinger had the largest margin of victory on the day, beating FRC's Brandee Burton and Arizona Webb, 21-8 and 21-9.
 
San Francisco returns to the sand on Saturday with two matches at the Clark Kerr Sand Courts on the campus of California in Berkeley. The Dons will face South Bay rival Santa Clara in a neutral site match, then take on the host Bears in the afternoon.
 
San Jose State 4, San Francisco 1
West Valley College – Saratoga, Calif.
Feb. 22, 2019
 
1. Anna Dalla Vecchia/Carly Lowry (USF) def. Caitlin Bettenay/Tabea Schwarz (USF), 21-15, 21-18
2. Luiza Andrade/Giulia Gávio (SJSU) def. Camille Araujo/Victoria Rogers (USF), 21-10, 22-20
3. Ciara Reistad/Ryann Thomison (SJSU) def. Ella Reames/Moana To'oto'o (USF), 21-18, 22-20
4. Thaliana Grajeda/Kaitlynn Zdroik (SJSU) def. Madelyn LaFollette/Emily Zinger (USF), 21-16, 22-20
5. Julia Golbeck/Sarah Smevog (SJSU) def. Lena Bondar/Tanner Pemberton (USF), 21-13, 21-8
Ex.. Haylee Nelson/Fernanda Vido (SJSU) def. Trish Koutsoukos/Sophie Sydenham (USF), 21-12, 21-18
 
San Francisco 5, Feather River College 0
West Valley College – Saratoga, Calif.
Feb. 22, 2019
 
1. Dalla Vecchia/Lowry (USF) def. Chloe Hampton/Mere Nagase (FRC), 21-9, 21-19
2. Araujo/Rogers (USF) def. Madison Howard/Jillian Wright (FRC), 21-13, 21-12
3. Reames/To'oto'o (USF) def. Aurora Carnes/Lauren Ornbaun (FRC), 21-10, 21-15
4. LaFollette/Zinger (USF) def. Brandee Burton/Arizona Webb (FRC), 21-8, 21-9
5. Bondar/Pemberton (USF) def. Dannika Day/Delaney Gill (FRC), 21-14, 21-18
Ex. Kainani Moniz/Sophia Silva (FRC) def. Koutsoukos/Sydenham (USF), 21-15, 21-15