SAN FRANCISCO, Calif - In a gritty five-set affair, the University of San Francisco volleyball team (6-6) came out victorious, defeating CSUN, 3-2, extending its winning streak to three and grabbing the USF Challenge title Saturday afternoon at War Memorial Gym at the Sobrato Center.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• Despite taking an early lead, with the opening kill from Aylen Ayub, the Matadors (2-9) responded with an eight-point scoring run and quickly took the lead. Gaining momentum late in the frame, the Dons went on a four-point scoring run with offensive production coming from Hayden Goodman, Maria Petkova, and Kennedy Muckelroy. A late rally was fended off, and CSUN held the advantage until the end, taking the first set 25-19.
• Winning five of the first eight points of the second set, San Francisco entered the second set, ready to compete. Muckelroy led the way early, recording two kills to propel the Dons to a 4-2 advantage. CSUN, however, kept the set close, evening the score at 15 midway through the frame.  
• The Dons followed with a 9-0 run, running away, extending the lead to 24-15. Goodman later sealed the deal with a game-winning kill to end the set, 25-16.
• The third frame began with three Dons, Muckelroy, Petkova and Karolina Nova, recording kills early on to make it 4-2. Keeping the game tight, CSUN continued to even out the score until Abby Wadas tallied an ace to make it 7-5, gaining an advantage for San Francisco.
• After going down 15-11, San Francisco worked to cut down the deficit, winning eight of the following 11 points to regain the lead at 19-18. Staying ahead of the Matadors, the Dons secured the third set with a final kill from Lindsay Oldendorf, 25-21.
• Nova started the fourth frame with a kill to put the Dons on the board first. Trailing late in the set, 20-17, the Dons used a 5-0 scoring run to push ahead by two, 22-20. The Matadors kept composure and won the fourth set, 26-24.
• In the deciding set, CSUN struck first, taking a 6-2 advantage from the start. Battling back, San Francisco used a 7-3, led by kills from Petkova, Oldendorf, and Ayub, and tied the match at nine. Gaining momentum, the Dons won six of the final eight points, with Goodman recording an ace and Oldendorf finishing her night with a kill to end the game 15-12.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• Petkova had an explosive game offensively, recording 19 kills and finishing with 22.5 points. 
• Defensively, Goodman recorded seven total blocks on six block assists and one solo. Offensively, she recorded a hitting percentage of .478 from 11 kills on 23 attempts.
• Wadas and Sara Denham controlled the back line, with Wadas leading the team in digs with 22, while Denham added 17.
• Ayub led the team with 40 assists, the fourth time this season surpassing the 40-assist threshold. Through 12 matches this season, Ayub has accumulated a team-leading 352 assists. 

• To view the full highlights of today's match, please click here.
• To view the full postgame interview with head coach Diogo Silva, please click here.
• To view the gull postgame interview with Maria Petkova and Sara Denham, please click here. 

UP NEXT:

San Francisco returns to action at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 21, when it faces off against Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference home opener at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center. 

MERCHANDISE:

Want to dress like the Dons? Get your official San Francisco Dons gear from the University of San Francisco bookstore today! Click here to purchase.

SPONSOR THE DONS:

The University of San Francisco Athletics Department would like to acknowledge and thank our primary sponsor – Corona - for their continued support of USF Athletics. Interested in sponsoring the Dons? Please contact Frank Allocco, the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director of External Relations, at fallocco@usfca.edu or at (415) 422-4561.

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.