Box Score
SAN FRANCISCO – Led by a 18-kill effort and an effective .500 attack percentage, the Dons took a straight-set victory from Air Force to earn 2013's first win at War Memorial Gym Saturday morning.
Zaloznik, a junior from Ljubno ob Savinji, Slovenia, finished with a match-high 20.5 points after adding three assisted blocks and an ace to her tally. Offensive firepower was added with
Malina Terrell's 12 kills, and five total blocks off a .345 attack percentage. A pair of Dons split the primary setting duties with senior
Mackenzie Murtagh notching 20 assists and freshman
Kiara McKibben adding 14. Defensively,
Rebecca Kopilovitch went for her fifth double-digit dig performance of the season, adding 24 on the day.
USF, who scored first in each of the three sets, started the day with the first two points; the first from an assisted block by Zaloznik and
Sara Staengle and the second with Murtagh's service ace. USF relinquished the lead to the Falcons after a Dons dig error set the score at 8-7 in favor of the visitors. Air Force stretched the lead to five as an Akokwe Clement kill to the back corner gave the Falcons a 15-10 advantage. As the Dons regrouped, Air Force saw what would prove to be their only lead of the match disappear. USF went on a 10-1 run that included four Zaloznik kills to regain the lead before eventually prevailing in the first 25-22.
Zaloznik continued the second by scoring the first two points in the set, and
Anja Segota added two straight aces before the Falcons found the board. The Dons continued to dominate as Terrell found her rhythm midway through the set. A kill by the senior from Richmond, Calif., gave USF a 15-9 lead and she scored the Don's 16th point with a slam down the middle. A cross-court leaping kill was good for USF's 18th point of the set and her decision to follow with a light tough off the assist from McKibben gave the Dons a 19-13 lead.
Air Force rallied to tie the score at 24-24 after a Zaloznik attack went just long, only her second miss on the day. She redeemed herself with the go-ahead point, and a stuff from Terrell and Staengle finished the set after the Air Force defense couldn't continue the play and the ball fell to the center of the court. Nine of Zaloznik's 18 kills on the day came in the second set, which was won by the Dons 26-24.
Starting off with a tear after halftime, USF jumped out to a 5-0 run but the Falcons would not go down without a fight. An ace by Ayesha Hein closed the gap late in the match to 19-17 in favor of the Dons. But a Terrell smash on the ensuing play began a 5-1 run to finish the set and the match. Consecutive kills by Terrell after long rallies finished the set at 25-18.
With the win, USF moves to 1-4 on the young season, and look to earn their second win of the day against Miami tonight. The Dons close out the Bay Area Challenge at 7 p.m., hosting the Hurricanes at War Memorial Gym.
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