Sept. 1, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

UP NEXT FOR THE DONS: USF hosts UC Santa Barbara, UT Arlington and Utah State in the 2008 USF Asics/Powerade Challenge beginning Friday, September 5 at War Memorial Gym. The Dons take on the Gauchos, a perennial NCAA Tournament participant, in their home opener at 7:00 PM, preceded by the Aggies and the Mavericks at 5:00 PM. San Francisco posted a 1-2 record in its opening weekend at the 2008 Long Beach State Invitational, falling in four games to the No. 24 49ers, before bouncing back for a five-game victory against Missouri State. Indiana swept the Dons in the tournament finale. USF looks to bounce back at home against a talented tournament field this weekend.

Complete 2008 USF Asics/PowerAde Challenge Schedule
Friday, September 5
UT Arlington vs. Utah State 5:00 PM
USF vs. UC SANTA BARBARA 7:00 PM
Saturday, September 6
USF vs. UT ARLINGTON 11:00 AM
Utah State vs. UC Santa Barbara 1:00 PM
UC Santa Barbara vs. UT Arlington 5:00 PM
USF vs. UTAH STATE 7:00 PM

USF AGAINST ASICS/POWERADE FIELD: San Francisco does not have a great deal of history against any of its opponents in the Asics/Powerade Challenge field. USF takes on UT Arlington for the first time since seizing a 3-2 victory at War Memorial Gym September 26, 1992, deadlocking the series at 1-1. The Dons took a 3-1 win against UC Santa Barbara in the first ever meeting between the two schools September 3, 2006 in the USF Powerade/Asics Classic. San Francisco owns a 1-0 lead in the all-time series against Utah State, taking a 3-1 win at the Boise State Invitational September 7, 1985.

Haley Carroll - WCC DEFENDER OF THE YEAR: Junior libero Haley Carroll followed up an outstanding freshman season with an even better sophomore campaign and captured 2007 West Coast Conference Defender of the Year honors. It was the first major individual conference award ever presented to a Don. Carroll led the league in digs (4.97) and was even better in WCC contests (5.64). The Gilroy, CA native is the first player in program history to twice surpass 500 digs in a single season and defied staggering odds to record 522 in both her freshman and sophomore seasons. Carroll enters the second week of the 2008 season ranked fourth on the USF career digs chart with 1,093.

Alix Gombos ATTACKS WITH AUTHORITY: Senior middle blocker Alix Gombos turned in a strong junior season, capped by her second straight All-West Coast Conference Honorable Mention selection. Gombos ranked fourth among league leaders in blocks (fourth/1.22) and attack percentage (seventh/.309). Gombos elevated her game during WCC play, 2.20 kills on .320 hitting with 1.30 blocks per game. The Oregonian turned in one of the finest offensive seasons by a middle as a sophomore, ranking second among league leaders in attack percentage (.345) and seventh among league block leaders (1.14). Gombos enters her final collegiate campaign as the top attacker in program history (.326).

Sarah Mandala GETS IT DONE: Sophomore opposite hitter Sarah Mandala turned in the most prolific offensive season by a freshman in school history and ranked second in kills (3.40) and captured West Coast Conference Honorable Mention selection after averaging a team-high 3.53 kills on .267 hitting during league matches. A two-time WCC Player of the Week selection, Mandala shattered the freshman kills record with 350 in her inaugural season, easily surpassing Theresa Hart (2003-05), who tallied 277 in 2003. Mandala led the way for the Dons at the Long Beach State Invitational, averaging 3.42 kills per game and hammered a career-high 22 against the No. 24 49ers.

Carly Babin CLIMBS CAREER BLOCKS LIST: Senior middle blocker Carly Babin looks for a strong finish in her final season in the Green and Gold. Babin ranked among West Coast Conference leaders in attack percentage (fourth/.355) and blocks (fifth/1.18). Last season, Babin ranked third on the team in kills, averaging 2.82 per game. After just recording 17 total blocks as a freshman, Babin enters the second week of 2008 with 290, good for ninth on the career charts and her 44 solo stuffs rate 10th. The Las Vegas native enjoyed one of the most prolific blocking seasons in USF history as a sophomore in 2006, ranking second in single-season stuffs with 160.

DONS HOST PAIR OF 2008 TOURNAMENTS: USF hosts two tournaments for the second straight season, this year on back-to-back weekends. The Dons host their first event when they welcome perennial NCAA power UC Santa Barbara, Texas-Arlington and Utah State for the USF Asics/PowerAde Challenge. The event, now in its sixth year, kicks off Friday September 5 when USF plays its home opener against the Gauchos at 7:00 PM in War Memorial Gym. USF hosts its second tournament of the year September 12-13 with the second annual Asics/Coca-Cola Invitational. Rising Big East power Miami, 2007 NCAA Tournament participant Sacramento State and Villanova comprise the tournament field. The Dons open tournament play when they tackle the defending Big Sky champion Hornets Friday in a 7:00 PM match.

Gilad Doron ENTERS SECOND SEASON IN THE GREEN AND GOLD: After guiding USF to its program record third straight winning season, Gilad Doron enters his second season on the Hilltop. Doron was named as head coach March 14, 2007. Before arriving on the Hilltop, Doron spent three years as the head coach at Villanova (2004-06), guiding the Wildcats to back-to-back winning seasons in the Big East. Doron is assisted on the bench by former US National Team setter Dan Fisher, who enters his second season on the Hilltop and his first as the associate head coach and Sam Hastings, who also enters her second year at USF after playing Doron at Villanova.

Addie Webster VERSATILE FOR USF: Senior outside hitter Addie Webster made solid contributions for the Dons in her first season on the Hilltop, ranking fourth on the team in kills (2.58) and was third in digs (2.59). A transfer from Eastern Washington, Webster captured Big Sky Newcomer of the Year honors in 2005 and turned in a team-high seven double-double matches for the Dons. Webster recorded 13 kills on .306 hitting to go along with 16 digs against Fresno State (8/25) and turned in 12 kills and 17 digs against Cal State Northridge (8/25). Webster tallied nine kills and nine digs against Oregon (9/4) and turned in her third double-double of the year with 11 kills and 11 digs against No. 14 Cal Poly (9/15). Entering the second week of the 2008 season, Webster needs 55 kills to reach 1,000 in her career. Webster recorded 669 kills with the Eagles.

Darcy Carroll MOVING ON UP CAREER ASSISTS CHART: Senior setter Darcy Carroll enjoyed the finest season of her career last season, ranking fifth among West Coast Conference leaders in assists (11.01), the sixth-best single season tally in program history. Last year the Dons offense hit at a .228 rate, the third best mark in program history, with Carroll doing the lion's share of setting. Carroll enters week two of her final season on the Hilltop ranked sixth in career assists with 2,320. Molly McEnery (1994-96) currently sits in the fifth spot with 2,928. A 2005 West Coast Conference Freshman Team selection, Carroll dished out a career-high 71 assists against No. 14 Cal Poly (9/14/07).

TAKING THE FIFTH: USF posted a five-game victory against Missouri State in the 2008 Long Beach State Invitational, improving to an impressive 17-10 in matches going the distance since the start of the 2003 season. The Dons posted a 2-3 record in five sets in 2007. San Francisco's streak of nine consecutive five-game match wins came to an end in the 2006 regular season finale against Portland State in the Banker's Classic. The Dons posted its ninth straight five set decision with a thriller at Long Island (9/22) at the 2006 LIU Blackbird Invitational. The Dons turned in an impressive 6-0 record in five-game matches in 2005 after going 0-4 during the 2004 campaign. Since 2003, the Dons are 14-7 in matches going the distance. USF was 5-2 in five sets during its "Season of Firsts", with its only two setbacks coming against No. 13 Loyola Marymount and No. 5 Pepperdine.

USF AGAINST 2007 NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS: Last season, USF played no fewer than 11 matches against teams advancing to the 2007 NCAA Tournament. The Dons posted a 3-8 overall record against NCAA postseason qualifiers. San Francisco dispatched Xavier (3-0), Santa Clara (3-0) and No. 12 San Diego (3-0). In addition, USF went 1-3 against top-25 opponents last season. The win against the Toreros was the first ranked victory for the Dons since taking down USD in 2003.

LONG BEACH STATE INVITATIONAL RECAP: USF posted a 1-2 record in the Long Beach State Invitational to open the 2008 season. The Dons dropped a hard-fought four game decision to the host No. 24 49ers, before seizing a five-game victory against perennial NCAA force Missouri State. San Francisco closed out tournament play with a disappointing sweep at the hands of Indiana on Saturday. Despite the 1-2 record, the Dons essentially shared runner-up honors with the Hoosiers (1-2) and Bears (1-2), while The Beach (3-0) won the tournament title. Sophomore opposite hitter Sarah Mandala led the way for the Dons offensively, averaging 3.42 kills, including a career-high 22 against Long Beach in the opener. Senior outside hitter Addie Webster turned in a pair of double-double matches against the 49ers and the Bears. Junior libero Haley Carroll did a nice job on the back row, averaging a team-high 4.08 digs.

NEWCOMERS READY FOR GREEN AND GOLD DEBUTS: USF welcomes a skilled group of five newcomers to the Hilltop in the first complete recruiting class for head coach Gilad Doron and his coaching staff. Redshirt freshman middle blocker Erin Bragg (Clovis, CA) was a heavily recruited player out of Buchanan High School in the Central Valley. After sitting out last season, Three true freshman also bring plenty of excitement to the table, headlined by opposite hitter Erin Kilroy (Portland, OR), the 2007 Oregon 6A State Player of the Year. A two-time all-state performer, Kilroy lifted Jesuit High School to the 2005 6A State Championship. Outside hitter Chelsey Lowe (Yorba Linda, CA) turned in a strong prep career at Esperanza High School, helping the Lady Aztecs to the 2005 CIF Division I title. A four-time all-league choice, Lowe helped Esperanza to two Sunset League championships. Leinani Keanini (Kailua, HI) is a libero/outside hitter who should see time primarily in the back row. An honorable mention All-State selection, Keanini captured first team All-ILH honors as a senior at Iolani High School.

DONS VOLLEYBALL SENIORS READY: San Francisco returns five starters and more than 71 percent of the kills from the Dons offense, which averaged nearly 16 kills per game on .228 hitting in 2007. Five seniors look to cap their careers with an NCAA Tournament appearance. A three-year starter, Darcy Carroll enjoyed the best season of her career in 2007 and helped the Dons post the third best attack percentage in program history as a junior. A two-time All-WCC Honorable Mention selection, middle blocker Alix Gombos enjoyed another strong season for the Dons and ranked in the top-10 among WCC blocking and attack percentage leaders. Carly Babin, who enters her final season ranked ninth in career blocks, also ranked in the top-10 among WCC blocking and attack percentage leaders. Outside hitter Addie Webster made big contributions in her first campaign on the Hilltop and turned in a team-best seven double-doubles on the season. Zuzana Bednarova, who will see time at outside hitter and middle blocker this season, looks to finish her career in the Green and Gold with a flourish.