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Mandala Records 26 Kills In Dons' 3-1 loss
Nov. 5, 2009
(San Francisco) - Sarah Mandala recorded 26 kills Thursday, but the efforts fell short as the USF Volleyball team dropped a 3-1 (25-23, 22-25, 22-25, 19-25) decision to No. 25 Saint Mary's at War Memorial Gym. The 26 kill effort was the fifth time this season the junior has registered 25-plus kills, fourth time with 26 or more.
With the loss, the Dons drop to 10-12 on the season, including 4-5 against West Coast Conference opponents. The nationally-ranked Gaels improve to 17-4, 9-1 in league action. The loss also snapped a 10-match WCC home win streak for the Dons, who hadn't dropped a conference match on the Hilltop since 2007.
The Dons grabbed the opening set 25-23 to take the early advantage. Up 20-13 in the set, the Gaels rallied 8-0 to take a 21-20 lead. The two teams battled, exchanging the lead multiple times, before the Dons pulled off the victory.
In the second set, the two squads played close until, tied at 10, the Gaels took the lead and never looked back. Saint Mary's led by as many as five in the set en route to the 25-22 victory.
San Francisco returned from the intermission fierce, taking a 14-9 lead but Saint Mary's thought differently, rallying back. The Gaels knotted the score at 16, before taking over the lead, and a 2-1 match advantage.
Saint Mary's hit at a .400 clip in the decisive fourth set to take the match with a dominating 25-19 victory.
Mandala paced the Dons with 26 kills and eight digs. Senior Anna Berger was the lone other Don to record double-digit kills with 16 on .273 hitting. Berger also recorded an assist and a pair of digs. Alyica Cox and Erin Bragg each added five kills.
Haley Carroll led the San Francisco defense with 17 digs, leaving her 15 digs shy of 2,000 career digs. Once the senior accomplishes the feat, she will become the 45th player in NCAA Division I history to recorded 2,000 or more career digs. Cox added 10 digs for USF, while Alaina Sully posted eight, as did Mandala. Also defensively, Hadley Simmons recorded a team-high three blocks.
Sully dished out 34 assists for USF and Leanna Ludes earned 17 as the duo spilt time running the Dons' offense.
Megan Burton led the Gaels with 11 blocks, two solo, as Saint Mary's recorded 20 team blocks. Three members of SMC's squad - Lauren Corp, Megan York and Chanteal Satele - each posted double-digit kills.
San Francisco will return to action Saturday as they host No. 22 San Diego at War Memorial Gym. First serve is slated for 1 p.m. The match will be played as part of Fall Fest on the USF campus. All Dons fans are welcome to gather for a pre-match reception at Noon in the North Lobby of War Memorial Gym as part of the festivities.
