University of San Francisco (11-11, 4-6 WCC)
vs. San Diego (15-7, 8-2 WCC)Thursday, Oct. 30 | 7 p.m. | Live stream:
theW.tv | Stats:
usfstats.com |
Ticketsvs. No. 11 BYU (18-3, 9-1 WCC)Saturday, Nov. 1 | 1 p.m. | Live stream:
theW.tv | Stats:
usfstats.com |
Tickets#WeAreSF
The San Francisco volleyball team is looking to keep its solid record at home rolling as the Dons welcome in the top two teams in the conference in San Diego and No. 11 BYU.
What 2 Watch 4
San Francisco's
Valentina Zaloznik continues to be a dominant force for the Dons in her senior season, compiling 256 kills on .335 hitting and a team-high 100 blocks. Currently, her total blocks figure stands at 47th in NCAA Division I volleyball.
Offensively,
Katarina Pilepic leads the squad in kills with 296 to go with 60 total blocks.
Kiara McKibben took over primary setting duties in 2014 and has assisted on 750 scoring plays for the Dons, an average of 8.93 assists per set.
Freshman
Kim Gutierrez is leading the defensive charge, amassing 389 digs. Nationally, Gutierrez' numbers are ranked 65th in the country. As a team, USF's 1,326 total digs leads the WCC.
Know the Foe
San Diego enters the weekend touting a 15-7 record, and a 8-2 mark in WCC play. The Toreros are paced by Alaysia Brown's 282 total kills, or 3.76 per set. San Diego relies on a duo of setters with Jianna Bonomi (560; 7.09 a/s) and Kristen Gengenbacher (405; 5.87 a/s) directing the offense. As a team the Toreros average of 13.53 assists per set is good for tops in the WCC and eighth in the NCAA. Defensively, Hunter Jennings has dug out 326 balls and Lisa Kramer leads the front line with 66 total blocks.
In the first meeting with the Dons, then-No. 23 San Diego took the match in four. USF was paced by double-doubles from
Valentina Zaloznik (16 kills, 11 blocks, .517 pct.) and
Katarina Pilepic (14 kills, 10 digs), but San Diego's offensive balance was too much to overcome with four women notching double-digit kills (Brown, Lozic, Finley, Kennedy).
BYU, USF's Saturday foe, stands at 18-3 (9-1 WCC) entering the weekend's contests. The Cougars will serve as USF's sixth ranked opponent of the season, entering at the 11th-best team in the AVCA polls. BYU is propelled offensively by Jennifer Hamson's 263 kills on .349 hitting. Alexa Gray has added 234 kills on .302 hitting, and the Cougars lead the WCC in team hitting percentage (.285).
Big on the block, Whitney Young leads the squad and the NCAA with 135 total blocks, or 1.88 blocks per set, on the season. Not far behind, Amy Boswell has compiled 119 blocks (1.65 per set) and Hamson has denied 97 attempts (1.35 per set) as the trio tops the WCC leaderboards.
In the first season meeting with BYU, the Cougars compiled 24 total blocks, compared to USF's three, to swarm the USF hitters. The Dons were the first team to take a set from the Cougars in eight matches.
USF Versus
All-time vs. Toreros: 16-46 • 11-20 at WMG
Current streak: L6
Last meeting: 10/04/14 (A) • L, 1-3, 19-25, 25-21, 16-25, 22-25
All-time vs. Cougars:0-8 • 0-3 at WMG
Current streak: L8
Last meeting: 10/02/14 (A) • L, 1-3, 15-25, 18-25, 25-23, 11-25
Records Watch
Senior
Valentina Zaloznik is racing up the career record books in myriad categories:
 3.   Total Blocks - 400
 7.   Solo Blocks - 75
 7.   Kills - 1099
 7.   Aces - 105
Single-season record books
 T-7.  Â
Valentina Zaloznik - .335 pct.
 13.   Â
Kim Gutierrez - 389 digs
Single-match records
After compiling 13 kills on 14 attempts with no errors, or .929, in USF's sweep of Fordham on Aug. 30, Zaloznik now owns the single-match record for hitting percentage.
Last Time Out
USF finished its longest road stretch of the season, closing a four-game swing at Bay Area foe Saint Mary's. The Dons split the season series with the Gaels after losing 3-1 at McKeon Pavilion.
Valentina Zaloznik paced the team with 16 kills and
Katarina Pilepic added 13 in the loss.
A Look Ahead
After the stout weekend against the WCC leaders, the Dons swing through the Pacific Northwest for two, first meeting Portland on Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. Then USF heads to Gonzaga and seeks a season split against the Bulldogs Nov. 8 at 12 p.m.
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