Video Highlights
SAN FRANCISCO-- In the final day of the San Francisco Challenge, the USF women's volleyball team (4-6) split the day's action which was highlighted by an offensive outburst in a four set win over Brown (30-28, 25-23, 23-25, 25-19).
In this week's All-Tournament team, freshman outside hitter Tyna Adamcikova was again named as an honoree. The 6-0 hitter had the most kills in the tournament with 46 and averaged 4.6 kills per set. She now leads the team with 128 kills for a 3.56 kills per set average.
Senior Emily Reed had a successful weekend as she came in third with 35 kills over the three game stretch. Reed is continuing to build her career-best year with 115 kills thus far (3.19 kills/set).
All-Tournament Team
Erica Di Maulo- St. John's
Margherita Bianchin- St. John's
Sarah Lucenti- Brown
Tyna Adamcikova- USF
Lindsey Ruddins- UC Santa Barbara
Phoebe Grunt- UC Santa Barbara
Most Outstanding Player: Lindsey Ruddins
vs. Brown
Adamcikova displayed an outstanding game in the Dons' win over the Brown Bears. The freshman outside hitter recorded a new career-high of 27 kills (.415 hitting percentage) and 15 digs. She recorded the most kills in a four-set match since the 2012 season when Ester de Vries had 26 in a match at UC Davis. Adamcikova was not far from the all-time high for kills in a four set match, as that record is held by Laura Tinetti (30 kills vs. Northern Arizona in 2000).
Along with Adamcikova, senior Emily Reed nearly recorded her second double-double of the season as the 5-10 outside hitter recorded 17 kills and eight digs. Freshman Kate Ashman rounded out the Dons with double-digit kills, as the middle blocker totaled 12 kills and a career-high six blocks in the match.
Setters Montana Green and Trish Koutsoukos both had career nights as the two combined for 49 assists. Koutsoukos recorded 27 assists while Green had 22 for the match.
After getting out of the gates slow, USF got into a groove and cut into Brown's lead. The Bears led the Dons, 11-2 at one point in the set, but the Dons' defense forced Brown into a string of errors to trim the deficit to three. Trailing 14-10, the Dons went on a blistering flurry- gaining the eventual 16-15 lead after going on an 8-1 run. In the impressive run, Adamcikova served two aces while Ashman scored two emphatic kills in the middle of the floor.
The game would go in back-and-forth action, as the Bears would tie the match and overtake the lead. Off an Adamcikova kill, the Dons would tie the game at 20 all. Brown would then capture a 23-20 lead, but with four more kills from Adamcikova, the Dons would extend the set. Both teams would answer each other's call as the set would extend to 28-28. Despite facing an early uphill battle, USF would capture the first game, 30-28, off a kill by Adamcikova, service ace from setter Montana Green and a thunderous block by right side hitter Nora Buvarp Lavik.
The second game would carry over the same intensity and energy from the first set. After a mini run by the Bears, the Dons would go on a 5-0 run to cut into the lead, 12-11. Ashman and Adamcikova would once again lead the Dons attack, as the defense continued to pressure Brown into errors. Tied 22-22, Adamcikova would deliver back-to-back kills to give USF the 24-23 set point. A well placed serve in the back left corner from freshman setter Trish Koutsoukos sealed the deal, as USF captured the second game, 25-23.
After jumping out to an early 4-0 lead, Brown showed new life in the middle of the set, as the Bears captured the 12-11 lead. After allowing five unanswered points to Brown, USF came back to tie the match off an Adamcikova kill and attack error from Brown. The Dons would take back their lead, and off two straight line drive kills by Reed, USF regained the one point edge. Brown would go on to score three straight to regain the lead, 23-22, and eventually capture the third game to avoid the sweep.
In the fourth game, USF played with an extra bounce. Out to an early 11-1 lead, the green and gold hit .500 and forced the Bears' attack to seven attack errors in the early parts of the set. The Dons would never relinquish their lead, going wire-to-wire to finish off Brown in four sets. USF's defense caused eight attack errors and forced the Browns to hit .000 in the final set. The Dons had their way as the team totaled 13 kills on 28 attempts (.321 hitting percentage). The defense played a large part in the team's overall success- forcing Brown to 23 attack errors.
vs. UCSB
Facing UC Santa Barbara (8-2) in the weekend's finale, USF engaged in a tight first game against the Gauchos. Neither team could run away with a lead larger than three points until UCSB strung together a 4-0 run to claim a 16-11 lead. The Dons would surge back within two after kills by Adamcikova, Green and Reed. USF would eventually tie the game at 21 after a finesse kill to the left corner from Green. The Dons would then take the lead after a quick slide and block by Ashman. The game would continue to go down the wire, as the Gauchos could not capitalize their first set point. After a service error by the Dons, UCSB would escape the first game, 26-24.
Limited to six kills in the second game, USF could not even the match at a set apiece. UCSB totaled 11 kills (.665 hitting percentage) and forced the Dons to commit seven attack errors.
The Dons ultimately fell to the Gauchos as UCSB continued its momentum until the very end. USF displayed grit and a fight that resulted in seven total blocks for the match. Junior middle blocker Marjolijn Oskam recorded a game-high five blocks. The 6-4 middle averaged one block per set and ranked second in the tournament for blocks (10).
Up next for USF will be a road trip to Bakersfield where the Dons will compete in the Roadrunner Classic (Sept. 16-17). USF will open the tournament against two other Big West Conference members, UC Irvine and UC Riverside, and then face off against Northern Arizona.
