Dons Sweep Past Falcons in Home Opener

Friday, September 20

San Francisco, Calif.

6:00 PM

University of San Francisco

6-5,0-0WCC

Air Force

1-9,0-0Mountain West

Air Force

San Francisco

Photo by: Christina Leung

9/20/2024 8:55:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The University of San Francisco volleyball team (6-5) opened the USF Challenge with a sweep, defeating Air Force (1-9) 3-0 Friday evening at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Following a split of the first eight points, San Francisco dominated the opening frame, recording eight straight points to go ahead 12-4. Hayden Goodman led the Dons during the run, accumulating three kills and a block assist to guide the team to a commanding advantage.
The Dons continued to build momentum, increasing their lead to 10, 16-6, on a Michalina Rola kill.
The green and gold, leading 20-12 near the end of the frame, recorded five of the final seven points to take an early lead in the match, 25-13.
In a tight start to the second set, San Francisco held a narrow 5-3 lead before Air Force rebounded with a 6-2 run to gain a 9-7 edge in the early stages.
The Dons responded with eight unanswered points, regaining the lead for good at 15-9. Rola and Astrid Puig paced the team through the scoring run, combining for seven kills and a block assist.
The Falcons continued to battle, bringing the frame to within two, 20-18, but back-to-back kills from Goodman and Puig solidified the set for the Dons, 25-20.
In an error-stricken start to the third set, the teams combined for seven errors as the green and gold held a narrow 5-4 advantage.
Shortly after the Falcons jumped ahead 7-6, Maria Petkova kickstarted a 6-0 run to push the Dons ahead, 12-7. The Dons' defensive presence continued to show during the run, forcing the Falcons into four attack errors.
Leading 20-12, San Francisco closed the match strong, highlighted by kills from Lindsay Oldendorf and Rola and a solo block from Goodman to give the Dons a 25-18 win.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

Rola led the Dons offensively as she nearly recorded a double-double with a team-high 13 kills and eight digs. Her .522 hitting percentage surpassed her previous career best set earlier this season, as she also recorded one attack error in 23 attempts.
Reaching 30 assists in nine of the last 10 matches, Aylen Ayub posted 33 to lead the team while adding four digs and three block assists.
Goodman led the Dons' frontline as she posted eight total blocks. She also added six kills on nine attempts for a .667 hitting percentage.

POSTGAME WITH THE DONS:

To view the full highlights from tonight's match, please click here.
To view the full postgame interview with head coach Diogo Silva, please click here.
To view the gull postgame interview with Hayden Goodman and Michalina Rola, please click here.

UP NEXT:
San Francisco returns to action at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, when it concludes the USF Challenge against Seattle U at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.

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 – Coca Cola – 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.