SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Following a hard-fought five-set victory at Santa Clara last weekend, the University of San Francisco volleyball team (8-5, 1-0 WCC) returns to the Hilltop to host Saint Mary's (4-7, 0-2 WCC) at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 3, and LMU at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
 
MATCH 14 INFORMATION:
Date: Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Opponent: Saint Mary's
Location: San Francisco, Calif. / War Memorial at the Sobrato Center
Watch: ESPN+
Live Statistics: StatBroadcast
Tickets: Purchase Here
 
MATCH 15 INFORMATION:
Date: Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Opponent: LMU
Location: San Francisco, Calif. / War Memorial at the Sobrato Center
Watch: ESPN+
Live Statistics: StatBroadcast
Tickets: Purchase Here

DONS AT A GLANCE:

• San Francisco opened WCC play on the road when it defeated Santa Clara on Saturday, Sept. 28, in a five-set battle at Leavey Center. The Dons, falling behind as it dropped two of the first three frames to the Broncos, earned fourth and fifth set wins to take the 3-2 win.
• Lindsay Oldendorf and Hayden Goodman led San Francisco on both sides of the court, combining for 20 kills and 11 blocks at the middle blocker position. In her fourth match of the season, Oldendorf totaled 10 kills and a .421 hitting percentage across the five-set affair.
• Goodman nearly posted a triple-double with 10 kills, six digs, and six blocks while posting a .273 hitting percentage.
• Aylen Ayub reached the 30-assist threshold for the third consecutive match, totaling 38 and adding five kills on seven attempts from the setter position.
• Michalina Rola continues to guide the team offensively, leading the squad in kills with 145. Rola has produced eight matches with double-digit kills, highlighted by a season-high 19 against Nevada.
• On the front line, Goodman leads the Dons and the WCC in total blocks (64) and blocks per set (1.36) while being one of only three players with at least 60 blocks this season. Offensively, she ranks third in the league in hitting percentage at .299 while totaling 89 kills in 47 sets.
• Leading the team in digs, Jolei Akima has accumulated 188 in 13 matches, reaching double figures in 11. She is also fourth in the WCC in digs per set at 3.76.

SCOUTING THE GAELS:

• Entering Thursday's matchup on the Hilltop in a tie for eighth place in the WCC standings, Saint Mary's dropped both conference matches last weekend, falling to Portland and LMU. Saint Mary's, currently with a 4-7 overall record, have lost three straight matches, including a 3-0 defeat at San Jose State in its final nonconference contest on Saturday, Sept. 21.
• Genevieve Bane and Hannah Taylor lead the Gaels offensively, recording 127 and 117 kills, respectively. Bane also ranks among the league's best, ranking ninth in kills per set (3.18) and points per set (3.73), and eighth in service aces (17).
• Kaliko Kealoha leads the Gaels in total blocks at 31, while Katherine Gee has posted a team-high 141 digs.

SCOUTING THE LIONS:

• Winning 10 of its first 13 matches, LMU enters the weekend with a 10-3 overall record and holds a share of first place in the WCC standings. Before coming to the Hilltop, LMU takes on Santa Clara in the South Bay on Thursday, Oct. 3.
• Last weekend, LMU opened conference play with a sweep, defeating Pacific and Saint Mary's while only dropping two sets combined.
• Paige Flickinger has become one of the top offensive players in the conference as she leads the Lions and is second in the WCC in kills with 180. Flickinger, a grad transfer from LSU, has reached double-digit kills in all 13 matches, including posting a season-best 25 at Southern California.
• Defensively, Jiana Lawson leads the team in total blocks (62), and Sam Hastings leads the team and ranks fifth in the conference in digs (179). 

SERIES HISTORY:

• San Francisco and Saint Mary's have faced off 44 times since the 2002 season, with the Gaels holding a 31-13 advantage over the Dons. In recent history, the Gaels have won six of the last seven meetings, including two wins over the Dons last season.
• San Francisco has accumulated 14 wins over LMU in 44 matchups since 2002, with the last coming in a 3-1 victory on the road during the 2022 season. The Lions earned two wins in 2023, sweeping the Dons 3-0 in both contests. 

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.

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.