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USF Volleyball Comes From Behind for 3-2 WCC Victory at Portland
Nov. 12, 2009
(Portland, OR) - Junior outside hitter Sarah Mandala clubbed a match-high 27 kills to help USF fight back from a 2-1 deficit for a 25-22, 23-25, 23-25, 25-20, 15-13 West Coast Conference victory against Portland Friday night at the Chiles Center. The Dons (12-12, 6-5 WCC) take their 15th consecutive win against the Pilots (5-21, 1-10 WCC), who forced a fifth set against San Francisco for the first time since 1999.
Freshman middle blocker Hadley Simmons recorded 12 kills on .647 attacking to go along with a pair of blocks. Senior outside hitter Anna Berger also hit well with 10 kills on .500 hitting.
Junior setter Alaina Sully had a big stat night for the Dons, collecting a career-high seven kills on .700 hitting to go along with 31 assists and eight digs. Senior libero Haley Carroll collected 22 digs and added seven assists and an ace for USF. The all-time WCC digs leader finished her night with 2,023.
With the victory USF head coach Gilad Doron became the USF career WCC wins leader with 23, breaking a tie with former Dons mentor Laurie Corbelli (1986-89). In his third season on the Hilltop and his fifth as a Division I head coach, Doron needs four more victories for 100 in his career.
San Francisco hit at a .265 pace for the contest and hit .300 or better in three sets, but remarkably lost two of them. The Pilots won the battle at the nets with a 13.0-9.0 blocks advantage, but USF held a 72-67 kills lead.
USF closes out its Pacific Northwest WCC swing Saturday afternoon in Spokane, Washington against Gonzaga. Match time against the Bulldogs is set for high noon in the Martin Centre.
