PULLMAN, Wash. – Competing in its 13th five-set match of the season, the University of San Francisco volleyball team (16-13, 9-8 WCC) earned a 3-2 victory at Washington State (16-10, 11-6 WCC) Wednesday evening at Bohler Gym.
 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• Trailing from the jump, San Francisco dropped the first three points as two kills from Katy Ryan and Taryn Vrieling gave Washington State an early 3-0 advantage.
• Astrid Puig and Jolei Akima provided an offensive spark for the Dons shortly after, recording a kill and service ace to trim the deficit to one, 3-2.
• The first set remained close in the early goings, with the green and gold tying the frame at nine following a Jaden Walz service error.
• A 16-3 scoring run for Washington State ensued as the Cougars gained control and secured the first set, 25-12.
• San Francisco gained a four-point edge, 11-7, in a highly contested second set, following a Maria Petkova solo block. Efficient on defense at the start of the frame, the Dons totaled three blocks and forced the Cougars into six attack errors.
• The Cougars kept the set close, tying the second at 19 with a 4-0 scoring run, capped off by an attack error from Hayden Goodman.
• Going back and forth in the back half of the frame, the Dons recorded the final three points to win the second set, 27-25. Petkova paced the team in the final points, recording two kills.
• Taking control in the third set, San Francisco opened with a 10-5 lead after Michalina Rola produced three kills to solidify a 4-0 scoring run. Holding the lead throughout the set, the Dons eased to a two sets to one advantage in the match with a 25-20 third-set victory.
• Falling behind at the beginning of the fourth, 8-3, the green and gold erased the deficit with a 6-0 run, paced by the defense securing two blocks highlighted by a Rola solo rejection to take a 9-8 edge.
• The Cougars regained the lead in the following points, posting six combined kills to take an 18-15 advantage. Washington State continued to build on its lead, winning the set by a 25-21 margin to force a decisive fifth frame.
• San Francisco's defense continued to shine en route to a 4-1 lead at the start of the fifth set, as Petkova recorded a solo block while Delaney Ewing and Aylen Ayub teamed up for another rejection.
• Trailing 12-11, the green and gold rattled off three straight points with a kill from Rola and back-to-back blocks to give the Dons match point, 14-12. Following a point from the Cougars to trim their deficit to one, 14-13, Petkova recorded the final kill to secure the fifth-set and match win, 15-13.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• Rola led San Francisco offensively, recording a career-high 21 kills on a .175 hitting percentage. The graduate student from Jastkow, Poland, also added eight digs and four blocks to help guide the Dons defensively.
• Petkova reached double-digit kills for the 13th time this season, recording 16 with a .271 hitting percentage. A force on the front line, Petkova also posted five blocks.
• Recording a career-best in blocks, Ewing accumulated six across the five-set affair. In the last three matches, Ewing has posted 15 rejections, boosting her season total to 82.
• As a team, San Francisco posted 16 blocks, the highest total by the team this season and the most since recording 18.5 in a 3-2 win at Pepperdine on October 29, 2022.

UP NEXT:
San Francisco concludes the 2024 regular season on the road when it takes on Gonzaga at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 30, at the Charlotte Y. Martin Centre.
 
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.
 
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 – ABM – 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.