SAN JOSE/SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The University of San Francisco volleyball team (5-4) ends its season-opening road trip when it takes on San Jose State (6-0) at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 19 before hosting the USF Challenge, facing off against Air Force (1-7) at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20 and Seattle U (1-6) at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
 
MATCH 10 INFORMATION:
Date: Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Opponent: San Jose State
Location: San Jose, Calif. / Spartan Gym
Watch: Mountain West Network
Live Statistics: StatBroadcast
 
MATCH 11 INFORMATION:
Date: Friday, Sept. 20, 2024
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Opponent: Air Force
Location: San Francisco, Calif. / War Memorial at the Sobrato Center
Watch: ESPN+
Live Statistics: StatBroadcast
 
MATCH 12 INFORMATION:
Date: Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Opponent: Seattle U
Location: San Francisco, Calif. / War Memorial at the Sobrato Center
Watch: ESPN+
Live Statistics: StatBroadcast
 
DONS AT GLANCE:

• San Francisco is currently on a three-match winning streak after posting wins over Houston Christian, UTRGV, and Texas A&M – Corpus Christi last weekend at the UTRGV Tournament.
• Michalina Rola led the Dons offensively throughout the tournament, totaling 36 kills, 4.00 kills per set, and a stellar .368 hitting percentage, including hitting a season-high .500 in the triumph over HCU. Playing efficiently during the weekend, Rola only committed four attack errors in 87 attempts and added five service aces, with a season-best three coming against UTRGV.
• Aylen Ayub has helped guide the Dons on the offensive side of the ball, accumulating a league-high 360 assists in the team's first nine matches, with 101 coming last weekend.
• Defensively, Hayden Goodman led the front line with 13 total blocks, highlighted by a six-block performance in the opening match of the UTRGV Tournament against Houston Christian. Through the first nine matches, Goodman has totaled five or more blocks four times and ranks first in the WCC with 44.
• Jolei Akima ranks in the top five in the conference in total digs and digs per set. Her 139 digs places her second in the WCC while ranking fourth in digs per set at 3.86.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS:

• San Jose State enters the weekend undefeated after posting a five-set win over Santa Clara on Sunday, Sept. 15 to improve to 6-0 on the season. After falling behind 2-1 against the Broncos, the Spartans posted two-straight set wins to pull out the come-from-behind victory on the road.
• Nayeli Ti'a and Blaire Fleming pace the Spartans offensively, with 89 and 80 kills, respectively. In the win over the Broncos, Fleming led the team with her second double-double of the season, with 11 kills and 10 digs.
• Emma Testi ranks first on the team and in the Mountain West Conference in blocks per set at 1.35, accumulating 33 total through six matches. Along with her offensive presence, Ti'a leads the Spartans with 68 digs and 3.09 digs per set.

SCOUTING THE FALCONS:

• After recording a win over Fordham in the season opener, Air Force has dropped seven in a row after falling to Northern Colorado, 3-1, on Friday, Sept. 13. Before making their way to the Hilltop, the Falcons face off against Saint Mary's in Moraga on Thursday.
• The Falcons have three players with at least 40 kills, with Ella Tschuor leading the way with 64. Tschuor has reached double-digit kills in three matches, including a season-high 12 in the loss to South Dakota State.
• Defensively, Jordan Suan has recorded 106 digs and Lainie Stapleton has 12 blocks to pace the team. 

SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS:

• Struggling to start the season, Seattle U has lost six of its first seven matches and is coming off two losses to Portland, falling 3-0, on Thursday, Sept. 12, and Saturday, Sept. 14.
• Since defeating CSUN, 3-2, in the season opener, Seattle U has only won five sets in the following six matches.
• Offensively, Arianna Bilby and Merima Smajlovic lead the team in kills with 70, while Yasemin Elmas and Tatum Chase follow with 44 and 31, respectively.

SERIES HISTORY:

• Since the 2002 season, San Francisco has dominated the matchup series against San Jose State, winning seven of the 10 meetings. The Dons last played the Spartans in 2023 at the USF Challenge and earned a convincing 3-1 victory at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
• San Francisco and Air Force have faced off four times in recent history, with the programs recording two wins apiece. In the last meeting, the Falcons earned a 3-1 win at home during the 2022 season.
• San Francisco has only dropped one match to Seattle U since 2008, as the Dons hold a 4-1 advantage over the Redhawks. The two programs competed in a five-set affair last time, as the Dons prevailed with a 3-2 victory in Fresno, Calif., in 2022.

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 – Catholic Charities - 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.