Oct. 20, 2008
(San Francisco) - Off the heels of a road sweep of Saint Mary's and then-No. 18 Santa Clara, the USF volleyball team is receiving votes in the AVCA Division I Coaches Top-25 Poll that was released on Monday. The last time the Dons received votes in the national poll was on October 16, 2006. USF's votes come as the Dons matched the best start in league history, going 5-0 thanks to a 3-1 victory over the Broncos on Saturday. The victory at Santa Clara, marked the first time since 1989 that the Dons have defeated the Broncos on their home court. San Francisco has won eight straight matches, including two victories over ranked teams (then-No. 15 San Diego and then-No. 18 Santa Clara) and a win over a team that was receiving votes (Saint Mary's). The Dons are one of four West Coast Conference programs to earn a top-25 rank or receive votes in the poll. Joining USF in the polls is Pepperdine ranked 15th, San Diego ranked 17th, and Santa Clara, which is listed at 23rd. The WCC is only one of four conferences to have four or more teams ranked or receiving votes in this week's poll. The other conferences are the Pacific-10 with eight, the Big 10 with six and the Big 12 with four. San Francisco returns to War Memorial Gym this weekend to continue conference play. The Dons are looking to improve on a 10-1 home record when they host Loyola Marymount on Thursday at 7 p.m. before welcoming No. 15 Pepperdine Saturday at 1 p.m. AVCA Division I Coaches Top-25 Poll 2008 Poll #8: October 20, 2008
Receiving votes: Arizona, Cal Poly, Utah, SAN FRANCISCO, Middle Tennessee, Long Beach State, New Mexico State, Baylor, Tulane, Clemson, UAB, Northern Iowa, BYU, UNLV Bold indicates 2008 Opponent USF VOLLEYBALL NOTES DONS REMAIN PERFECT IN WEST COAST CONFERENCE PLAY: San Francisco's 5-0 conference start matches the school record for start to the league season. During the 1987 season, USF opened conference play with a 5-0 record before finishing the conference season with a program-best 9-5 mark. USF CONTINUES TO ROLL AT HOME: With the upset over No. 15 San Diego on October 11, USF continued to be a threat when playing in the friendly confines of War Memorial Gym. Through the opening eight weeks of the season, the Dons have amassed a school-best 10-1 record on the Hillltop. The lone loss at home this season was a 3-2 battle to Miami on Saturday, Sept. 13 as part of the 2008 Asics/Coca-Cola Invitational. In the past four years, San Francisco has posted a 37-16 record when playing at home, including going 7-3 during the 2006 campaign. BABIN, GOMBOS RANK NATIONALLY IN TOP-10 HITTING PERCENTAGE: Heading into last weekend, senior middle blockers Carly Babin and Alix Gombos both ranked in the NCAA Division I top-10 in hitting percentage. Babin is listed at fifth with a .445 average, while Gombos checks in at 10th, with a .426 clip. USF is the only school with two members of its roster listed in the top-10 or -15 and only one of two schools with two squad members listed in the top-20. Penn State's Christa Harmotto leads the nation with a .516 average. National stats are updated weekly on Tuesdays. |
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