Oct. 1, 2008

(San Francisco) - UP NEXT FOR THE DONS: USF opens its West Coast Conference schedule this weekend, as the Dons host Portland and Gonzaga at War Memorial Gym. San Francisco enters the weekend looking to extend a three-match win streak, including victories over Penn and Seattle last weekend. Against the Quakers, the Dons dropped the opening two sets before outscoring Penn 65-29 over the final three sets to secure the victory. USF defeated Seattle the next day 3-0 in its final tune-up before conference action. The Dons head into WCC play with an 8-1 mark when playing in the friendly confines of War Memorial Gym this season.

Carly Babin CLIMBING 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 (first/.412), kills per game (10th/2.98), blocks (sixth/1.02) and points (ninth/3.75). 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 sixth week of 2008 with 334, good for sole possession of sixth place on the career charts and her 51 solo stuffs rate 10th. Babin moved past Sharon Mellen (1985-88) who recorded 319, with 15 blocks last weekend. 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.

Haley Carroll - SECOND IN USF CAREER DIGS: 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 is on track to do so once again with 245 in 14 matches. Carroll enters the sixth week of the 2008 season ranked second on the USF career digs chart with 1,289 and two weeks ago passed Dons Hall-of-Famer and Legend of the Hilltop Melanie Kaiser (1988-91), who tallied 1,236.

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 (T-fifth/1.02) and attack percentage (second/.398). Gombos elevated her game during WCC play last season, averaging 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 (.328).

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 currently leads the Dons offensively, averaging 3.74 kills on .275 hitting.

BABIN CLAIMS USF BLOCKS RECORD: In last week's 3-2 victory over Penn, Senior middle blocker Carly Babin shattered the single-match program blocks record with 15 (two solo). The previous high was 13 held by Legend of the Hilltop Teresa Russell, who set the milestone against Santa Clara (11/6/99). Babin also recorded a team-high 19 kills on .567 attacking with just two errors in 30 swings. The 15 blocks also marked a high for all West Coast Conference teams this season.

DONS POST WCC HIGH: Against Penn last weekend, San Francisco posted 20 team blocks to set a season high for any team in the West Coast Conference. The Dons also hold WCC match-highs with 72 kills against Cal State Fullerton, attempts with 178 at Long Beach State, assists with 68 at Cal State Fullerton, and digs at Cal State Fullerton with 75. Three Dons have also posted individual highs as Carly Babin recorded 15 blocks vs Penn, Haley Carroll earned 31 digs against Miami and Sarah Mandala recorded 62 attempts and 22 kils at Long Beach State.

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.

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 six of her final season on the Hilltop ranked sixth in career assists with 2,662. 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). So far this season, Carroll averages 8.26 assists per game while primarily running a 6-2 offense.

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). With her ninth kill against Cal State Fullerton (9/19) Webster reached 1,000 career kills. Webster notched 669 kills with the Eagles. Entering the sixth week of 2008, Webster averages 2.31 kills and 2.65 digs per game.

TAKING THE FIFTH: USF is 2-1 in five-set matches this season, taking a 3-2 victory against Missouri State (8/29), falling to Miami (9/13) and posting a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Penn last week. The Dons have posted an impressive 18-11 record 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.

FRESHMEN MAKING AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT: San Francisco's roster this year features four freshmen Erin Bragg (redshirt), Chelsey Low, Leinani Keanini, and Erin Kilroy. Bragg leads the pack of newcomers, boasting 54 kills and a .216 hitting percentage with 26 blocks. Lowe is also making a statement with 12 assists, seven service aces and 87 digs. Keanini has earned 17 kilss, 48 digs and three blocks, while in one appearance, Kilroy recorded a dig.

TOURNAMENTS IN REVIEW: This season, the Dons competed in four tournaments - the Long Beach Tournament, 2008 Asics/Powerade Challenge, the 2008 Asics/Coca-Cola Invitational, and the Cal State Fullerton Tournament. San Fransico earned the title of the Asics/Powerade Challenge, after posting victories over UC Santa Barbara (3-1), Texas-Arlington (3-0) and Utah State (3-0). During the event, Carly Babin was named the MVP, while Alix Gombos and Sarah Mandala earned all-tournament honors. USF finished as runner-up in the other three tournaments, including going 2-1 at the Asics/Coca-Cola Inivitational and the Cal State Fullerton Tournament. Mandala earned all-tournament honors during all three runner-up finishes, while Haley Carroll was also recognized at the Asics/Coca-Cola Invitational and Darcy Carroll earned accolades at the Cal State Fullerton tournament.