Women's Volleyball | 7/21/2016 5:00:00 PM

SAN FRANCISCO – The new look San Francisco volleyball team unveils a roster dotted with players with international and collegiate experience and fresh faces prepared to contribute to the squad in their first year on the Hilltop.

The Dons lineup will feature nine newcomers in the 2016 campaign, with four women transferring to the Hilltop from other universities across the nation, and five first-year collegians heading to the Hilltop to play for new head coach Vicki Brown.

"It's fresh faces and it's a brand new start for the whole program," noted Brown. "I'm looking forward to this season and working with all the new players and getting my coaches on the court. I feel very fortunate that I have a young group that's coming in that understands the expectations and are willing to work for it. Long term, they will have so much impact in creating a base for the program, and I'm just excited for the future."

Multi-sport athlete for the Salpointe Catholic Lancers, Carly Lowry comes to the Dons by way of Tucson, Ariz. Along with being named the AIA All-Section and Southern Arizona Player of the Year in her senior campaign, Lowry earned a Max Preps Player of the Week distinction during her final prep year on the court. In addition to her indoor and sand volleyball experience, she played two years of tennis and one season of basketball in high school.

Kate Ashman, a 6-3 freshman from Cypress, Calif., was an all-Empire League middle blocker for the Cypress HS Centurions for three seasons, and the 2015 league Most Valuable Player. Strong in the classroom, Ashman was a three-time all-academic selection.

Hailing from Long Beach, Calif., Camille Araujo heads to the Hilltop as a 2015 Press Telegram "Dream Team" honorable mention after a successful high school career as a defensive specialist for Wilson Classical HS. The 5-7 Araujo played for the A1 and A2 USA Volleyball high performance national team for four years.

Tyna Adamcikova, a 6-0 hitter from Opava, Czech Republic, opens her collegiate career for the Dons in 2016. The four-time national champion has an extensive playing background on the court and the sand. Most recently, Adamcikova took second on the sand in Brno with her partner this spring.

Another incoming freshman added to the mix for the Dons is Shannon Levinson. The defensive specialist from Los Angeles, Calif., advanced to the CIF semifinals in her senior season at Notre Dame Academy. Well-rounded on and off the court, Levinson was a member of the Hope and Justice Club, was an active participant of the school's Campus Ministry organization and served as a student ambassador during her time with the Regal Gryphons.

Trish Koutsoukos spent the spring semester at Bowling Green, but transfers to USF as a freshman in athletic eligibility. Hailing from Sydney, Australia, Koutsoukos was the MVP for the Endeavour 19U state champion squad. At Casimir Catholic College, she won the Blue Award and set her way to the NSWCCC state championship in 2014.

Marjolijn Oskam comes to the Dons by way of Xavier, where she spent two years on the Musketeers roster. Originally from Bussum, Netherlands, Oskam played for her national youth, U19/U20 and U20/U21 teams. The 6-4 middle blocker participated in the highest women's league in the Netherlands on the Talentteam Holland squad, sponsored by the National Olympic Committee and National Sport Federation.

Nora Buvarp Lavik, a native of Tonsberg, Norway, enters the program after two seasons at Indian Hills Community College. The Warriors finished with a combined 64-12 record in her two seasons, and the 6-3 Lavik recorded freshman stats of 210 kills, or 1.71 per set, 229 digs, and 94 total blocks to come in fourth in total points on the team.

Montana Green played her freshman season at George Mason earning 10 starts and compiling 320 assists on the court. At St. Patrick HS in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, Green was a multi-sport athlete for the Fighting Saints, not only as the volleyball MVP and team captain, but also on the track as the MVP and a two-time high jump champion.

The nine newcomers join returning student-athletes Kim Gutierrez and Dane Miller, and senior Emily Reed. The squad opens the season on Aug. 26 at the Benson Hospitality Invitational hosted by the University of Georgia. The Dons take to the home court for the first time on Sept. 2, in the first day of the San Francisco Invitational.