SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The University of San Francisco volleyball team (8-5, 1-0 WCC) opened West Coast Conference play with a win Saturday afternoon, defeating Santa Clara (4-7, 0-2 WCC) 3-2 on the road at Leavey Center.
 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• In a competitive start to the opening set, Santa Clara won five of the first eight points to gain an early 5-3 advantage. San Francisco answered with a 5-2 scoring run, led by kills from Hayden Goodman and Maria Petkova, to take an 8-7 lead.
• Following the Dons' run, the Broncos responded with five straight points, regaining the lead for good at 12-8. Santa Clara continued to dominate the first set as it eased to a 25-19 victory, holding the green and gold to just six total kills to take an early lead in the match.
• The Dons responded in the second set, taking control for a 10-4 edge in the early stages. Petkova continued her dominance to guide the green and gold as she accumulated two kills and a solo block during the early scoring run.
• Following two straight points by the Broncos to get within 10-6, the Dons recorded a 6-2 run to extend their advantage to eight, 16-8. In her first action in the match, Lindsay Oldendorf posted a kill and a block assist to lead the team.
• San Francisco continued to build upon its lead in the back half of the frame, as Goodman and Michalina Rola recorded a block assist to put the program up 21-13. A late rally from Santa Clara cut the deficit to two, 24-22, but a kill from Petkova secured the second set and tied the match at one set apiece.
• Santa Clara pulled out the win in a highly contested third set to gain a 2-1 advantage in the match. Fending off multiple runs, the Broncos controlled the pace of play, earning a 25-20 third-set victory.
• Tied at 14 at the midway point of the fourth set, San Francisco recorded five of the following six points to take a 19-15 lead. Amelia Dombrowska kickstarted the run for the Dons, posting back-to-back kills before Oldendorf and Astrid Puig tallied kills to solidify the four-point advantage.
• Following a run from the Broncos, cutting the Dons lead to one, 23-22, Goodman posted a kill and teamed up with Dombrowska for a block assist on the final two points to send the match to a fifth set, 25-22.
• San Francisco controlled the pace of play to start the final frame, accumulating seven of the first 10 points to gain a 7-3 lead. The defense was key at the start of the set, as the Dons forced the Broncos into three errors.
• With San Francisco leading 13-9, Santa Clara responded with a 4-1 run, forcing the green and gold into two attack errors, cutting their deficit to 14-13.
• Rola recorded the final point for the Dons in the following rally, posting a kill to give the Dons a 15-13 set win and solidifying the comeback victory.

NOTABLE PEROFRMANCES:

• Oldendorf and Goodman led San Francisco on both sides of the court, combining for 20 kills and 11 blocks at the middle blocker position. In her fourth match of the season, Oldendorf totaled 10 kills and a .421 hitting percentage across the five-set affair.
• Goodman nearly posted a triple-double with 10 kills, six digs, and six blocks while posting a .273 hitting percentage.
• Aylen Ayub reached the 30-assist threshold for the third consecutive match as she totaled 38 while adding five kills on seven attempts from the setter position.
• As a team, San Francisco recorded 13 blocks, reaching double figures for the sixth time. The Dons' total marked the most team blocks in a conference match since recording 15 at Santa Clara on October 19, 2023. 

UP NEXT:
San Francisco returns to the Hilltop at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 3, when it hosts Saint Mary's at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
 
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 - Nike - 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.