SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Playing in their second match of the Hornet Invitational, the University of San Francisco volleyball team (0-2) fell to Sacramento State (2-0) in five sets, 3-2, on Saturday afternoon.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- Starting out hot, the Dons reeled off four straight points to begin the first set. Early on, USF led by as much as seven, 10-3, after a kill by sophomore Orsula Staka.
- Trading points in the following minutes, the Dons were able to maintain their lead and register five of the final seven points set to secure the win in the first set, 25-16. Through the first period, Staka, sophomore Kellen Martins and junior Katie Wagstaff had each tallied three kills.
- Matching each other blow-for-blow to begin the second set, the Hornets pulled in front on a four-point stretch midway through the set, making the score 16-12 in favor of Sacramento State. Riding two more rallies as the match continued, the Hornets evened the score by taking the second set, 25-18. Through two sets, Martins and Staka had collected five kills each while junior Bruna Correa led the Dons with seven digs.
- In another back-and-forth affair, USF and Sacramento State battled again in the third set, but the Dons were ultimately able to respond and secure the set win, 25-23, after four consecutive points to close the set. Through three sets, eight different players had at least two kills for USF.
- Moving into the fourth set, the Hornets buckled down and evened the match at 2-2 after notching a 25-21 set win. Through four sets, freshman Shyia Richardson paced the Dons with 11 kills while freshman Letizia Aquilino had recorded a team-high 20 digs.
- Although the Hornets would take an early 7-2 lead in the final set, USF responded with a 7-2 run of their own to even the match at 9-9 after a kill by freshman Taylor Schein. Defending their home court, Sacramento State would outscore the Dons 7-5 down the stretch to secure the set win and notch the overall match victory, 3-2.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
- For the Dons, Richardson and freshman Hannah Kinnison tied for the team lead with 12 kills while Schein finished second with 11 total. Notably, these three all registered new career-highs in kills on Saturday afternoon.
- Returning as a key piece to the roster, freshman Aylen Ayub led the team with 42 assists and 4 aces while Aquilino collected a team-high 22 digs. For Ayub, these assists marked a new season-high while her four aces tied a career-high. For Aquilino, the first-year Don excelled in just her second match with USF by tallying a new career-high in digs.
- As a team, USF led the Hornets in total digs (74-65) and hitting percentage (.235-.204).
UP NEXT:
USF will play in their second straight tournament to open the season when they travel to Davis, Calif. for the Aggie Invitational next weekend. Scheduled to face the host Aggies on Friday, Sept. 3, the Dons will also square off against the Nevada Wolfpack on Saturday, Sept. 4.
FOLLOW US:
For more information and updates on the University of San Francisco volleyball program, be sure to follow the Dons on Twitter @USFDonsVB, @USFDonsVB on Instagram and @USFDonsVball on Facebook.
