SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Making their way back to The Hilltop as conference play continues, the University of San Francisco volleyball team (0-16, 0-8) is set to host Saint Mary's (9-8, 3-5) and Pacific (7-12, 4-4) this weekend at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
 
GAME 17 INFORMATION:
Date/Time: Thursday, Oct. 21- 7:00 p.m.
Opponent: Saint Mary's (9-8, 3-5)
Site: War Memorial at the Sobrato Center
Video: WCC Network 
Live Stats: Statbroadcast

GAME 18 INFORMATION:
Date/Time: Saturday, Oct. 23- 12:00 p.m.
Opponent: Pacific (7-12, 4-4)
Site: War Memorial at the Sobrato Center 
Video: WCC Network 
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
 
DONS AT A GLANCE:

• Last time out, USF battled Portland on the road in five sets, but ultimately fell to the Pilots, 3-2, at the Chiles Center. Impressively, three Dons registered new career-highs in kills against the Pilots: Shyia Richardson (16), Orsula Staka (15) and Lana Kutakhina (9). For Staka, the Croatian also tied her season-high in blocks with four while Kutakhina also set multiple new career-highs with 4 service aces and 13 overall points.
• Heading into the weekend, Staka currently ranks third in the WCC in hitting percentage with a .393 clip while teammate Letizia Aquilino is fifth in digs per set (3.25) and seventh in total digs (179).
• Notably, Thursday's match against the Gaels will mark the first meeting of the season between USF and Saint Mary's while the Dons will aim to avenge their Sept. 28 loss against Pacific on Saturday afternoon.

SCOUTING THE GAELS:

• In their last time on the court, Saint Mary's handled Pacific at home on Friday, Oct. 15, sweeping the Tigers in straight sets at University Credit Union Pavilion, 3-0. Individually, Chandler Cowell returned to injury for the Gaels to lead the team with 11 kills while also tying for the team lead with four blocks and tying for second with eight digs.
• Overall, the Gaels return all eleven letter winners from last year's team in addition to a five freshman who joined the roster this fall.
• Prior to the season, the Gaels were picked to finish sixth as a team in the WCC Preseason Poll while outside hitter Elena Baka was named to the All-WCC Preseason Team for the second consecutive season. 

SCOUTING THE TIGERS:

• For Pacific, the Tigers will square off against Santa Clara on Thursday, Oct. 21 before heading to The Hilltop to battle the Dons. In their last two matches, UOP fell in five sets at home to Loyola Marymount before dropping their most recent contest on the road at Saint Mary's. Prior to these games, the Tigers had reeled off a four-match win streak, which included a 3-2 home win over No. 23 Pepperdine on Oct. 7.
• Offensively, Pacific is led by outside hitter Alexa Edwards, who currently ranks third in the WCC in total kills (273) and kills per set (3.79). Overall, the Sacramento native also thirty-fifth in the nation in total attacks (805) and fortieth in attacks per set (11.18). On the defensive side, Jaydn Tubbs continues to excel during her time in the Orange & Black as the senior currently leads the conference in total digs (318) and digs per set (4.42).
• Making her mark, Jenna Heller has impressed so far in her first year in Stockton as the freshman has logged a service ace in 13 of Pacific's 16 matches. Notably, her 0.43 service aces per set are good for fourth in the WCC heading into the weekend. 

SERIES HISTORY:

• Dating back to Oct. 2002, the Gaels hold a 26-12 advantage over the Dons, including a 3-1 victory in their last meeting in San Francisco on Mar. 13, 2021. Overall, USF's last win over SMC came last spring in a 3-0 road sweep just one day before on Mar. 12, 2021.
• Dating back to Nov. 2003, Pacific currently holds a 14-3 advantage over the Dons, which includes a 3-1 win over USF just a few weeks back on Sept. 28. Prior to this match, the Dons had won two consecutive matches on Feb. 9 & 10, 2021.

TALE OF THE TAPE:

Saint Mary's (9-5, 3-5)		San Francisco (0-16, 0-8)
746	Kills	533
690	Assists	470
98	Aces	61
761	Digs	657
141.5	Blocks	69.0
.215	Kill Percentage	.125
11.7	Kills Per Set	9.5
10.8	Assists Per Set	8.4
1.5	Aces Per Set	1.1
11.9	Digs Per Set	11.7

 

Pacific (7-12, 4-4)		San Francisco (0-16, 0-8)
868	Kills	533
789	Assists	470
118	Aces	61
1048	Digs	657
130.0	Blocks	69.0
.147	Kill Percentage	.125
12.1	Kills Per Set	9.5
11.0	Assists Per Set	8.4
1.6	Aces Per Set	1.1
14.6	Digs Per Set	11.7

 
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.