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Dons Fight To 3-2 Victory Against Pepperdine
Oct. 22, 2009
(Malibu, Calif.) - Behind double-double efforts from Sarah Mandala, Alycia Cox, and Leanna Ludes, the USF volleyball team defeated Pepperdine 3-2 (20-25, 28-26, 24-26, 15-12) at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, Calif. Thursday evening. The victory marked the first time that the Dons have earned a victory over the Waves on the road and just the third victory over Pepperdine in program history, including the second win in the past two seasons.
Thanks to the victory, USF improved to 10-9 overall, 4-2 in conference play, while Pepperdine, who is receiving votes in the national polls, dropped to 11-8 overall, 4-2 in WCC action.
Mandala led the Dons with 18 kills and 17 digs for her third straight match with a double-double effort. The junior also added an assist, a service ace and three blocks.
Cox posted a dozen kills and 10 blocks for her second consecutive double-double. Cox hit .286 on the evening with three assists and three blocks. Sophomore Erin Bragg joined Mandala and Cox with double-digit kills, also recording a dozen on .391 hitting with five blocks. Hadley Simmons, Anna Berger, and Erin Kilroy each added eight kills.
Ludes helped to run the USF offense, while also aiding the defense, recording a team-high 32 assists and 15 digs. The freshman also added an ace. Ludes shared time setting with junior Alaina Sully, who dished out 24 assists.
Defensively, Simmons and Haley Carroll paced the Dons. Simmons recorded a season-high 10 blocks, while also recording eight kills. Carroll continued her race to 2,000 career digs, adding 22 to bring her career total to 1,927, 73 short of the milestone.
Pepperdine earned the first set, jumping out to a 1-0 edge over USF and marked the just one of two sets to be decided without extending past 25. The Dons held the Waves tight until Pepperdine rallied for a 5-0 run to jump out to a 19-14 decisive lead.
San Francisco rallied back in set two but the win didn't come easily, as the score was tied 12 times and the lead changed hands on four occasions. Pepperdine was up 14-11 midway through the set, marking the largest lead of the set. San Francisco stormed back to be of the verge of match point 24-22, before Pepperdine forced a 28-26 USF victory thanks to a Waves' service error and a block by Berger and Simmons.
After the intermission, Pepperdine put the Dons in a 2-1 hole, after catching up on a four point USF lead. Up 24-20 and at match point, San Francisco allowed six straight Pepperdine points, allowing for the 26-24 Waves' victory.
The fourth set carried the same story as the rest of the match, but with the Dons on the winning end, 28-26. The set was evenly matched as neither team had more than a two-point lead at any moment. Tied 26-26, USF was lifted to the victory and forced a fifth set thanks to a pair of kills from Cox.
Much like the rest of the evening, the fifth set was a battle. San Francisco went up by three points early, but t he Waves wouldn't give in, battling to a 10-10 tie. The Dons went on to earn the match with a 5-2 run over the remainder of the set.
The Dons will continue their Southern California road trip Saturday afternoon, as they face Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles at 1 p.m.
