EDINBURG, Texas – The University of San Francisco volleyball team (2-4) continues its nonconference road trip when it competes in the UTRGV Tournament on Friday, Sept. 13 – Saturday, Sept. 14, at UTRGV Fieldhouse.
 
San Francisco begins the tournament with a doubleheader on Friday, taking on Houston Christian (2-4) at 8:00 p.m. PT, followed by a matchup with host UTRGV (4-2) at 4:30 p.m. PT. The program closes the weekend on Saturday against Texas A&M – Corpus Christi (3-3) at 9:00 a.m. PT.
 
MATCH 7 INFORMATION:
Date: Friday, Sept. 13, 2024
Time: 8:00 a.m. PT/10:00 a.m. CT
Opponent: Houston Christian
Location: Edinburg, Texas / UTRGV Fieldhouse
Watch: ESPN+
Live Statistics: SIDEARM
 
MATCH 8 INFORMATION:
Date: Friday, Sept. 13, 2024
Time: 4:30 p.m. PT/6:30 p.m. CT
Opponent: UTRGV
Location: Edinburg, Texas / UTRGV Fieldhouse
Watch: ESPN+
Live Statistics: SIDEARM
 
MATCH 9 INFORMATION:
Date: Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024
Time: 9:00 a.m. PT/11:00 a.m. CT
Opponent: Houston Christian
Location: Edinburg, Texas / UTRGV Fieldhouse
Watch: ESPN+
Live Statistics: SIDEARM
 
DONS AT A GLANCE:

• San Francisco continues its road trip to begin the season as it travels to Texas for the first time in 20 years. The team last competed in the Lone Star State in the Horned Frog Invitational, sweeping past TCU, Grambling State, and Prairie View A&M on Friday, Sept. 24 - Saturday, Sept. 25, 2004.
• Last week, San Francisco faced off in the Sacramento State Invitational and earned a five-set victory over New Mexico State on Thursday, Sept. 5 at The Nest. Amelia Dombrowska led the team offensively during the match, recording a career-high 20 kills. Reaching the 20-kill threshold in her first collegiate season, Dombrowska ranks fifth on the team with 38.
• Hayden Goodman ed San Francisco defensively throughout the Sacramento State Invitational as she was named to the All-Tournament Team. In the win over the Aggies, she recorded a career-high 11 blocks while adding 10 kills for her first-career double-double.
• Astrid Puig posted a team-high .243 hitting percentage with 39 kills on 111 attempts in the three matches of the Sacramento State Invitational. Puig led the team with 19 kills and a .283 hitting percentage in the five-set affair against CSUN and nearly reached double figures against New Mexico State with nine kills and a career-best seven blocks.

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES:

• Houston Christian enters the weekend after earning one win at the Molly Howard-Gerwig Memorial Tournament last weekend. The Huskies picked up a 3-0 victory over Kansas City on Friday, Sept. 6, but dropped 3-1 decisions to Howard and New Mexico throughout their home tournament.
• Houston Christian's key offensive player is Audrey Pearce, who has produced 71 kills, with Ana Garza totaling 59. Grace McLaughlin directs the offense with 235 assists, while Bianca Byerly stands out with 11 service aces.
• Defensively, Tatiana Evans leads with 87 digs, and Pearce also excels at the net with 25 blocks, showcasing the Huskies' solid all-around performance. 

SCOUTING THE VAQUEROS:

• Dropping two of its last three matches, UTRGV enters its home tournament with a 4-2 overall record. Last weekend, the Vaqueros fell to Wyoming and Cleveland State to open the Zips/CSU Invitational before earning a five-set win against host Akron.
• Ilana De Assis led the Vaqueros offensively, as she posted 63 kills on .304 hitting, with two aces and one double-double. She set career-highs in back-to-back matches, with 21 kills against Cleveland State and 23 in the win over Akron.
• Garnering Southland Conference Player of the Week, De Assis tops the league in kills (100) and points per set (4.93) while ranking second in kills per set (4.35).

SCOUTING THE ISLANDERS:

• Currently on a three-match winning streak, Texas A&M – Corpus Christi defeated North Florida, Jacksonville State, and Texas Southern at the Islanders Classic last weekend. The Islanders dropped just two sets throughout their home tournament, earning a five-set win over the Ospreys before posting 3-0 victories over the Gamecocks and Tigers.
• Kyndal Payne has paced the Islanders offensively through the first six matches, reaching double figures four times. Her 69 kills in 21 sets leads the team and ranks ninth in the Southland Conference.
• Kayla White and Katelyn Krienke guide the defense as White has accumulated a team-best 78 digs while Krienke leads the front line with nine blocks.

SERIES HISTORY:

• The matchup against San Francisco and UTRGV marks the second time the two programs have faced off. The Dons took care of business last season, defeating the Vaqueros in straight sets in the USF Challenge at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
• San Francisco is set to take on Houston Christian and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for the first time in program history.

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 – Catholic Charities - 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.