SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Wrapping up their homestand, the University of San Francisco volleyball team (0-13, 0-4) fought hard in their first meeting with BYU (14-1, 4-0) on Saturday afternoon, but ultimately fell to the No. 10 ranked Cougars, 3-0, at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• Defending their home court early, the Dons jumped out to an early 6-4 lead in the first set after a kill from Orsula Staka. As the two teams traded points in the following moments, USF remained on top, 20-18, following back-to-back service aces from Sophie Sydenham. Despite another kill from Staka and Shyia Richardson shortly thereafter, BYU would close the first set on a 6-1 run to overtake the Dons and secure the set win, 25-23.
• In a similar beginning, USF gained an early advantage, 4-2, in the second set after a kill from Sydenham and an attack error on the Cougars. Staying within striking distance as the set continued, the Dons remained within single digits of BYU, but would ultimately fall in set two, 25-16.
• Flexing their muscle out of the gates yet again, USF led 6-2 following back-to-back kills from Staka and Letizia Aquilino to start the third set. After a kill from Richardson widened the gap to 11-6 a few points later, the Cougars responded with another rally, this time recording a 10-1 stretch that catapulted BYU back in front. Although the Dons would answer with a 3-0 run of their own in the final moments, the Cougars buckled down to put away USF and steal the third set, 25-18. Notably, Saturday's victory marked the seventh straight match that BYU has swept their opponent in straight sets. 

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• For Staka, the 6'3" middle blocker tied her season-high by finishing with seven kills against the Cougars.
• Delivering when called upon, Sydenham tallied her first two service aces of the season on Saturday afternoon. Defensively, the Scottsdale, Ariz. native also tallied a new career-high with seven total digs.
• Overall, Richardson led the Dons with 9 points, which included a team-high eight kills and a service ace. Additionally, she also had seven digs across the three sets. 

UP NEXT:
USF will remain in the Bay Area when they travel to Santa Clara next Saturday, Oct. 9 for a matinee matchup with the Broncos. Set to begin at 1:00 pm, live streaming and live statistics will be available via the team's schedule page.
 
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.