EL PASO, Texas – The University of San Francisco volleyball team dropped the opening match of the Borderland Invitational Thursday evening, falling at UTEP, 3-1 at Memorial Gym.
 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• The Dons (2-2) fell behind early in the first set when the Miners (4-0) won 11 of the first 15 points to gain an early 11-4 advantage. Controlling the pace of play throughout the frame, the Miners cruised to a 25-13 first-set victory.
• The Dons recovered in the second frame and evened the scoring at one set apiece. Karolina Nova and Astrid Puig combined for six kills, while the defense held the Miners to a .042 hitting percentage. A strong frontline also forced the Miners into six attack errors while Puig, Hayden Goodman, Lindsay Oldendorf, and Kennedy Muckelroy recorded block assists.
• UTEP gained an early advantage in the third set and led 22-8 towards the end of the frame. Led by kills from Nova, Goodman, and Maria Petkova, San Francisco recorded five-straight points to cut the deficit to nine, 22-13, before the Miners won three of the following four points to secure the set.
• In a back-and-forth fourth set that saw six lead changes, the Dons grabbed an early 4-1 advantage before the Miners fought back to even the set. With the Miners holding a narrow 16-15 advantage, the team used a 9-3 run to secure the four-set victory.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

• Nova led the Dons offensively, recording a team-high 12 kills. Nova has reached double figures in kills in two of the four matches this season and ranks second on the team with 40.
• Puig finished the match with a season-high 10 kills, reaching the double-digit kill mark for the first time in her career.
• Ezgi Ozkan led the Dons with a season-high three service aces.
• Goodman was a staple on the defensive side of the ball, recording one solo block and two block assists throughout the match. 

UP NEXT:
San Francisco returns to the court at 6 p.m., on Friday, Sept. 1, when it faces off against New Mexico State in the second match of the Borderland Invitational at Memorial Gym.

MERCHANDISE:
Want to dress like the Dons? Get your official San Francisco Dons gear from the University of San Francisco bookstore today! Click here to purchase.
 
SPONSOR THE DONS:
The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge and thank our primary sponsor – San Francisco Toyota - for their continued support of USF Athletics. Interested in sponsoring the Dons? Please contact Frank Allocco, the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director of External Relations, at fallocco@usfca.edu or at (415) 422-4561. 
 
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