SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - A lot didn't go as planned for the University of San Francisco volleyball program just one year ago.

Under a first year head coach and a roster featuring a lot of turnover, the Dons weren't able to get into the win column a year ago after facing the stiff competition that is the West Coast Conference.

For USF's Lana Kutakhina and Anna Petrova, the recent months have brought challenges that few in the Bay Area could relate.

Kutakhina, who was born in Ukraine, watched as the rest of the world saw the Russian military invade into their country in late February.

Petrova, a native of Moscow, Russia, was beginning to plot her plan for which university she would transfer to for her graduate year. Knowing USF's reputation as a school for international student-athletes and the upward trajectory of the volleyball program, she saw an opportunity to extend her career in a comforting place. 

"I did my undergrad at the University of Connecticut and I still had my redshirt year so I started looking at different universities but USF and the location and the goals of the team this year just clicked," Petrova said. "I wanted to be a part of this. I love how many international kids are here and I like the fact that we have an international coach...there's just a lot of different backgrounds coming in together and making something different." 

Despite her initial trepidations of how she'd be received, those fears were quickly alleviated thanks to Kutakhina. 

"I was scared at first because of all of the prejudice that follows Russian people right now," Petrova explained. "Obviously we are all logical and smart people who won't make assumptions right away, but I was still afraid. Once I started talking to Lana, I didn't have any of that anymore." 

Kutakhina wanted to make sure that her new teammate immediately felt welcome and comfortable in her new home. These were the same reasons that brought her to the Hilltop following her two years of mandated military service in Israel. After hearing about the program and locking in her future, she headed west to the golden coast to join the Dons. 

While the two are still in the midst of their fall season, the pair enjoy the distraction that comes with volleyball as real world challenges continue to persist across the world. Petrova has three younger sisters and the majority of her family back in Russia, while Kutakhina's grandparents remain in Ukraine with the rest of her family in Israel. 

"I feel better about talking to Lana about it because she understands and we're on the same page about it," Petrova explained. "More recently things have been getting worse there and it's just nice to know that I can talk to someone in person about it. Because I do talk to my family about it, but it's become more distant because of different beliefs in what's going on and they're more ignoring the fact it's happening. So it helps to talk about it and discuss it to support each other."

Despite the challenges off the court, the Dons have been able to enjoy a resurgent fall on the court. Impressively, the team won their first seven matches of the season, including a pair of non-conference tournaments. Later in the conference season, the green and gold rallied off a six-match conference winning streak in the always challenging West Coast Conference. 

Boasting a revamped roster and a young, energetic group, both Kutakhina and Petrova are enjoying the great family environment on the Hilltop.

"Just in general, volleyball is like an escape zone for me where I can forget about everything and just play the game," Petrova said. "I don't think about any of the outside things during practice and games and it just feels like therapy. Seeing that it brings results is even better, that it's not just for fun." 

As the invasion initially began earlier this year, Kutakhina remembers how her teammates were there for her at the beginning as well as another fellow student-athlete who could walk in her shoes. USF's men's basketball Volodymyr Markovetskyy, who Kutakhina is currently dating, is also a native of Truskavets, Ukraine.

Though his hometown was on the opposite end of the country during the initial invasion, his family were unable to flee the country do both of his parents being essential personnel. Knowing the struggle of wanting to help and improve the situation but being so far from home hasn't been lost on either Kutakhina or Markovetskyy. 

"I know it's been hard for him because his parents are more involved in the military side in Ukraine," Kutakhina explained. "His mom has done a lot of volunteer things for training nurses in how to treat injuries and his father working as a police officer." 

As the situation in Ukraine evolves, both Petrova and Kutakhina have patience and understanding for people who might not be as familiar with the conflict, but also are hoping for an end in sight in the near future. 

"Stay human and open your eyes and your heart to make good decisions for your kid's future and your family," Kutakhina said. 

While Petrova enjoys her last season as a student-athlete as well as her time in San Francisco, she can't help but think of life back home and how the country she remembers won't be the same. Despite these challenges, the two Dons are still seeking kindness and understanding moving forward. 

"I would just say keep communicating with people who are somehow affected by the situation and be more human," Petrova said. "Be nice to each other because you never know exactly what is going on in someone's life."