SAN FRANCISCO – Season five episode seven of USF's cable television show, "Behind the Mask," will debut tonight at 7:30 p.m. on NBC Sports California. The five part show will debut with a segment on sophomore
Anna Dalla Vecchia and her journey from her small town in Italy to the Hilltop.
Dalla Vecchia joined the Dons in the fall of 2018 as a sophomore where she played in every single match for the Dons this past indoors season as the team's starting libero. She led the USF with 436 digs, averaging 4.04 digs per set and was fourth on the team with 24 services aces. She had nine matches last fall in which she collected more than 20 digs and 23 where she had double-digit dig totals.
The native of Vicenza, Italy – a small town near Venice – started playing volleyball at a young age thanks to the influence from her parents who are volleyball coaches. In this episode she discusses how playing for an elite club team in which she never saw the floor helped her transition to the position of libero. She felt that it played up to her skill set. The transition worked, her play saw her transfer to an even better club team where her skills caught the attention of the Dons' coaching staff who took a chance and brought her to USF.
The segment dives in her close relationship with the USF coaching staff and how that's rooted in her connection to her parents. The segment wraps up talking about Dalla Vecchia's transition onto the sand.
Partnered with
Carly Lowry, she's pushed her way to the Dons' No. 1 pair all season long. At the WCC Championships they went 2-2 and pushed the NO. 1 pair from defending champion and No. 5 ranked Pepperdine to three sets. The duo beat Pac-12 member Utah's No. 1 pair in three sets on March 8, and capped the regular season with a sweep victory at the No. 1 pairs over Pacific.
The episode will also feature a segment on women's golfer Samantha Gong, the leader of a young Dons' lineup that wrapped up a tremendous season. The episode will also feature a segment on track and field's Sadi Henderson and Dana Klein to grad transfers who are helping the Dons excel on the track. As always, the episode will conclude with "Playmakers," highlighting top team and individual performances from USF athletes.
Check local listings for your cable provider's station guide and additional air dates and times each month. Segments from the show, as well as past seasons of "Behind the Mask" can also be found on-demand on USF Athletics' Youtube channel.
To tune in to the show in the San Francisco Bay Area, 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.
