SAN FRANCISCO – The University of San Francisco women's golf team saw its season come to an end in the West Coast Conference Championships last month – the Dons captured third in the conference for the third consecutive year.  However, this season promised an exciting future as USF will return all six players returning for 2019-20.
 
Under second year head coach Sara Doell, the Dons boasted arguably one of their toughest spring schedules in recent memory. USF competed in five events this spring, with every tournament boasting a field that featured several top-50 teams in the Golfstat rankings. USF's rotation that featured just one upperclassman in junior Samantha Gong was earning experience by competing against the nation's best.
 
"Overall I am proud of the fight in our team this past spring," said Doell. "Despite the fact that we struggled to reach our scoring goals there were many great things that came out of the spring season. We had a very tough schedule and, at times, started out strong showing that we can compete with some of the best in the nation. We had three different players lead us in events throughout the spring while freshman Annika Borrelli led us three separate times including a third place finish at the WCC Championships earning a spot on the All-Conference team."
 
Borrelli's tremendous play was one of many individual highlights by the Dons in the fall.  The native of Alamo, Calif., finished the season earning All-WCC honors, her 75.33 stroke average led the Dons. She began the spring leading the Dons at the Bruin Wave Invitational and finished it taking third at the WCC Championships. It was her first career top-5 finish, she was the top-finishing freshman in the tournament, finishing ahead of Gonzaga's Quynn Duong, the WCC Freshman of the Year, who finished in sixth.
 
But the Dons weren't all Borrelli. Gong finished the season second on the Dons roster with an average score of 75.35 – just shy of her career-best of 75.1 that garnered her all-conference accolades her sophomore season.  The local product transitioned seamlessly into a leadership role caused by the graduation of three seniors from last year's squad, while earning WCC All-Academic honors. The spring started rough for Gong, but she rallied – leading the Dons at the Silverado Showdown and captured a top-10 finish at the WCC Championships. Gong also finished the year with 84 birdies which led the team.  At the WCC Championship Gong finished with 10 birdies which led the tournament, after opening the tournament with an 11-over 82. She was tremendous finishing with a 1-under 70 and an even par 71 in the second and third round.  She was one of two players in the entire tournament to card two rounds at par or better.
 
Sophomore Pearl Rojanapeansatith had a breakout season in 2018-19.  After a strong fall, she built on that with an even better spring.  Rojanapeansatith led the Dons at BYU at Entrada finishing tied for 20^th.  At the tournament, she carded a season-best 10 birdies and climbed 17 spots on the leaderboard on the final day. At her first career WCC Tournament appearance, she finished tied for 13^th – one of four Dons to finish in the top-15.
 
Fellow sophomore Joan Soewondo played in all 10 tournaments for the Dons. Her best finish of the season came at the WCC Championships where she finished tied for 13^th with Rojanapeansatith.  It was Soewondo's second career top-15 finish at the conference championships.
 
Freshman Jade Siphomsay also appeared in all five events in the spring. At her first WCC Championship she finished 21st with a 20-over 233 (finishing with five birdies. Junior Carley Hopton played as an individual for the Dons in the spring, playing at the Juli Inkster at Meadow Club Invitational.
 
"After looking at our results and stats from the spring, our team will look to start tournaments stronger in the fall," added Doell. "We struggled to string three solid team rounds together as we often had one or two stellar rounds. What is important is to build more physical and mental toughness and stamina to give us a chance to finish in the top-5 of events and ultimately to win."
 
Off the course and in the classroom, the Dons once again excelled. The team recorded a team GPA of 3.62 which was the highest USF in the fall and are on track for similar success this spring. Three players earned WCC All-Academic honors with every player recording a 3.3 GPA or higher including a perfect 4.0 by Rojanapeansatith. Outside of the classroom, the Dons were also very active in the community, helping out with The First Tee – a program very near and dear to Gong, as well as Harper for Kids, The Golf Channel and Best Buddies.
 
"With all six active players from our roster returning for the 2019-2020 season and two excellent freshman joining us in the fall, we are set up for a strong future!" said Doell.