Personal ties run deep between USF's fifth-year head coach Jim Millinder and his team. Many of his players did not just start playing for him when they arrived on the Hilltop, but have been groomed under his guidance since their formative years. Junior defender Allison Arriola is a case in point as one of Millinder's youth gems plucked out of the club circuit to come wear the Green and Gold.

While Arriola's position does not lend itself to gaudy statistics, she has been no less vital to a defensive backfield tasked with maintaining the precedent set by last year's historic defensive unit that either matched or established program-bests in shutouts (10) and goals against average (0.72).  

"I love that kid," said Millinder. "I've had her since she was 14. She just gets better and better. Her work rate is very similar to Jessica Nakae; the two are cut out of the same mold, and that's impressive to say."

A starter in 22 of 33 career contests coming into the year, Arriola, who hails from Millinder's neck of the woods in Torrance, Calif., has started all 12 of USF's matches this year. In anchoring the wings by playing alongside center back and 2015 West Coast Conference co-Defensive Player of the Year Ali Schaffer, Arriola is making a strong case to command that center back slot next season as Schaffer departs.

"She battles. She plays at one speed: 100 miles per hour," adds Millinder. "She's so competitive; we need more kids like Allison in our program if we really want to take it to the next level."

"Know Your Dons" is an ongoing feature on USFDons.com designed to personalize the student-athletes of the University of San Francisco - meet #25 Allison Arriola.  

Student Life
Favorite spot on campus (other than athletic facility): The view when you reach the top of the stairs of LoMo (Lone Mountain)
Favorite class (why): Visual Communications 1 - we made a magazine, which was pretty cool
Hardest class: Math
Favorite place to study on campus: The under caf (in the University Center)
Balancing the demands of school and your sport: Hard but doable. Need to make space for "you-time" as well
What experience made the biggest impact on you in the classroom? Getting an A on my final typography poster
The best thing about USF is: The small class sizes
What does "Change the World From Here" mean to you: Everyday is a day closer to impacting your future or the world's future

Pop Culture
Favorite TV show: Scandal
Favorite movie: Lilo and Stitch
Favorite singer or band: J. Cole and Rihanna
What's on your iPod: Rap, country, EDM, all the above really

Team
Top skill: hard work
One thing you are always working on: Left foot (weak foot)
One skill of one of your teammates you wish you had: Scoring goals
Pre-game rituals or superstitions before events: Have to get 100 juggles before the start of the game
Funniest teammate: Maddy Glaser
Favorite Jim Millinder saying: "Roll up your sleeves, put your hard hats on and get to work ladies."
Favorite bonding moment with your team: Bowling my freshman year

Sports
Sports teams I follow (Favorite sports teams): USA Women's Soccer
Favorite athlete: Tobin Heath
Favorite athletic memory: Scoring the winning goal to get my high school team to CIF
Biggest sports thrill: A great slide tackle
My second-best sport: Volleyball
Sport I'm the worst at: Basketball or golf
Earliest sports memory: Taking the ball from my teammate going the wrong way and scoring when I was 4 years old
First sport you ever played: Soccer

Food and Travel
Favorite meal: Breakfast burritos
Favorite ethnic cuisine: Mexican
Favorite snack food: Oreos
Guilty pleasure: Coffee ice cream
Least favorite food: Mushrooms
If I had to cook all of my meals, I'd survive on: Eggs
Who is the best cook on the team: Carissa Martine
If stranded on an island, what would you bring with you: Mascara
Most interesting place you've ever visited: Barcelona
Place you'd most like to visit someday: Jamaica
Favorite place in San Francisco: The farmers market in the Embarcadero
Describe your perfect day in San Francisco: A nice brunch, a trip to the beach (if it is a nice day) and finish the day shopping

This and That
Hobbies: Drawing and eating
Pick three words to describe yourself: Ambitious, hungry, creative
Early riser or night owl: Night owl
Something people would be surprised to know about me: I like country music
Person I'd most like to meet: Rihanna
Talent I wish I had: Singing
Role models: My mother and Jessica Alba
My parents were right when they said: I've got a good appetite
Moment in my life I'll always remember: My senior prom
Things I collect: Nothing really. A mug collection would be cool though if I had to choose
In 10 years, I'd like to be: Designing for Nike
If I could trade places with someone for a day, it would be: Rihanna
Pet peeves: Chewing with your mouth open or not being okay with silence sometimes
Cats or dogs: DOGS

Best advice you've ever received and who was it from: Life is tough but that's why everyone doesn't make it - my dad.

Describe your perfect day: Being back home in LA, waking up at 11 a.m., going for breakfast burritos, and spending the day at the beach then going out with friends for dinner.

In your own words, describe the student-athlete experience at USF: The athletic life is hard but well worth it. Going from practice to class back to practice then straight to class is a blessing. Social life is fun because you meet a lot of people through your sport and in the classroom as well. It's tough but I wouldn't change it for the world.