Nov. 11, 2008

Game Notes in PDF Format

UP NEXT FOR THE DONS: USF returns home to War Memorial Gym this weekend to face No. 21 Santa Clara and Saint Mary’s, who is receiving votes in the national polls. The Dons and Broncos will square off Thursday at 7 p.m. while the Gaels and Dons will play Saturday at 2 p.m. Saturday’s match marks Senior Day, as San Francisco will honor Carly Babin, Darcy Carroll, Alix Gombos, Addie Webster and Zuzana Bednarova prior to the match, while also welcoming back members of the Dons’ program as part of Alumni Day.

LAST WEEK FOR THE DONS: In their lone match last week, the No. 25 Dons dropped a 3-0 decision to No. 14 San Diego at the Jenny Craig Pavilion on San Diego. The match was a battle for first place in the WCC as both teams headed into the contest tied atop the standings. Senior setter Darcy Carroll recorded a double-double in the match with 15 assists and 10 digs. Carroll was one of three Dons to record double-digit digs, as senior outside hitter Addie Webster and junior libero Haley Carroll recorded 10 and 14, respectively.

BABIN, GOMBOS RANK NATIONALLY IN TOP-15 HITTING PERCENTAGE: Senior middle blockers Carly Babin and Alix Gombos both rank in the NCAA Division I top-15 in hitting percentage. This week, Gombos was ranks seventh with a .417 average, while Babin checks in at 15th with a .401 clip. This week marks the fifth straight week that the pair of Dons has been ranked in the top-10 or -20. USF is the only school with two members of its roster listed in the top-15. Penn State’s Christa Harmotto leads the nation with a .529 average. Updated NCAA stats are released every Tuesday.

SAN FRANCISCO SURPASSES WIN TOTAL FROM A YEAR AGO: Thanks to the victory over Portland two weeks ago, USF surpassed its win total from a year ago. The Dons currently stand at 18-6 overall, 8-2 WCC this season, while a year ago they finished with a 17-13 overall, 6-8 WCC mark. The 18 victories mark the third best in school history, while the school record is 23 wins. USF won 18 matches in the 2005 campaign and 23 in the 2006 and 2003 seasons. The 2003 campaign marked the first and only time, in San Francisco history that the Dons were selected to partake in the NCAA Tournament.

USF CONTINUES TO ROLL AT HOME: With a sweep over Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine two weeks ago, USF continues to be a threat when playing in the friendly confines of War Memorial Gym. Through the opening 11 weeks of the season, the Dons have amassed a school-best 12-1 record on the Hilltop. 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 39-16 record when playing at home, including going 7-3 during the 2006 campaign.

BABIN NAMED WCC PLAYER OF THE MONTH: Carly Babin, a senior middle blocker on the USF women’s volleyball team, has been named the West Coast Conference Player of the Month for October. The honor marks the first time in program-history that a Don has earned the accolade. Babin led the Dons to a stellar 7-1 record, all of which were WCC contests, in the month of October. The native of Las Vegas, Nev. paced the Dons to an outstanding month, in which San Francisco defeated three nationally-ranked teams, with 98 kills (3.06) on .402 hitting with five service aces, 21 digs and team-high 40 blocks (1.25) to lead USF with 128.0 points (4.00). Highlighting the month for Babin was a 19 kill, .826 hitting percentage, seven block, performance against then-No. 15 San Diego on October 11. For her efforts against the Toreros, Babin was named WCC Player of the Week. DONS CREEPING UP ON PROGRAM WCC WIN RECORD: Thanks to a sweep of Portland on last Saturday, USF is one win shy of tying a program record for conference victories. Currently, San Francisco boasts an 8-2 record in league play. The school record for WCC victories is nine, set in 1987 when USF fished with a 9-5 WCC mark and tied for a program-high third in the conference.

 USF WRAPS UP OUTSTANDING OCTOBER: The Dons finished October with a stellar 7-1 WCC mark. USF won the opening six matches of the month to make up the majority of a 10-match win streak that dated to September 20. For the month, San Francisco hit at an impressive .275 clip, while holding opponents to a .219 average. Senior middle blocker Carly Babin led the Dons with a .402 hitting percentage with 3.06 kills per set, five service aces, 21 digs and a team-high 40 blocks. Sophomore opposite hitter Sarah Mandala recorded a team-high 100 kills (3.12) during October, while senior middle blocker Alix Gombos hit at a team-high .450 clip with 87 kills. Senior outside hitter Addie Webster recorded 93 digs and 79 kills for USF, while junior libero Haley Carroll continued her strong campaign with 144 digs (4.50) and eight service aces. Senior setter Darcy Carroll dished out 282 assists for USF while recording a squad leading 13 service aces.

DONS' STREAK SNAPPED: USF saw its 10-match win streak snapped two weeks ago at Gonzaga. After dropping a 3-0 decision to nationally ranked California on September 20, the Dons strung together victories over Central Connecticut State, Penn, Seattle, Portland, Gonzaga, San Diego, Saint Mary's, Santa Clara, Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine. Of the 10 victories, three came against nationally ranked foes and one against a team that was receiving votes in the national polls. The longest win streak in San Francisco history was 15-0 stretch to open the 2003 season en route to qualifying for the first NCAA Tournament berth in program history.

DONS KNOCK OFF THREE RANKED TEAM IN AS MANY WEEKS: The victory over No. 15 Pepperdine marked on October 23 marked the third time in as many weeks that USF defeated a ranked opponent. The three wins over ranked foes marks a program first, as prior to this season USF had never defeated more than two ranked teams in a single campaign.

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 for Doron at Villanova.

Carly Babin CONTINUES TO ADD TO STELLAR CAREER: Senior middle blocker Carly Babin continues to add to a stellar career resume and is looking for a strong finish in her final season in the Green and Gold. Babin is currently ranked among West Coast Conference leaders in attack percentage (second/.401), blocks (first/1.11), kills (9th/2.91) and points (ninth/3.74). After just recording 17 total blocks as a freshman, Babin enters the 12th week of 2008 with 381, good for sole possession of fourth place on the career charts and her 58 solo stuffs rate tied for ninth. Babin moved past KeLicia Shorts (2002-05) and Laura Tinetti (1997-2000) with 10 total blocks during the eighth week of the season. 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.

Alix Gombos ATTACKS WITH AUTHORITY: After an impressive junior season in which she was awarded All-WCC Honorable Mention accolades, senior middle blocker Alix Gombos continues to shine in her final season on the Hilltop. The Oregonian currently is second the Dons with 83 blocks, 10 solo, averaging 0.95 a game, while hitting at a league-leading .417 clip with 209 kills (2.40), ranking her seventh in NCAA Division I.

Haley Carroll PACES WCC IN ACES - 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 416 in 24 matches. Carroll enters the 12th week of the 2008 season ranked second on the USF career digs chart with 1,460 and earlier this season passed Dons Hall-of-Famer and Legend of the Hilltop Melanie Kaiser (1988-91), who tallied 1,236. In addition to leading the WCC with 37 service aces (0.46), Carroll also ranks second in the WCC in digs with 416 (4.57).

Sarah Mandala GETS IT DONE: Sophomore opposite hitter Sarah Mandala turned in the most prolific offensive season by a freshman in school history, ranking second in kills (3.40) and capturing West Coast Conference Honorable Mention selection after averaging a team-high 3.53 kills on .267 hitting during league matches. Mandala currently leads the Dons offensively, averaging 3.54 kills (322) on .285 hitting. The native of San Dimas has also added 23 assists, 15 service aces, 108 digs and 70 blocks for USF this season. For her efforts against Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine during the ninth week of the season, Mandala was named the week's West Coast Player of the Week.

Anna Berger MAKES IMPACT: Redshirt junior Anna Berger has only played in 40 set this year, but continues to be a force for the Dons. Berger has appeared in every match since her season debut on September 27th against Seattle University. The outside hitter has recorded 82 kills (2.05) with five assists, seven service aces, 68 digs and 16 blocks - three solo, for an even 100 points. Berger exploded on October 16 at Saint Mary's with a career-high 18 kills, 10 digs and two blocks for her lone double-double of the season.

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 12 of her final season on the Hilltop ranked fifth in career assists with 2,990. This week, she passed Sarah McCandless (1992-95), who held the fifth spot with 2,989. 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 8.42 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 the12th week of 2008, Webster averages 2.37 kills and 2.74 digs per game. Earlier this season, Webster led all Dons with 26 kills and 31 digs, including posting her team-leading fourth double-double of the season thanks to a 19 kill, 19 dig performance at Saint Mary's. At Gonzaga two weeks ago, Webster recorded her team-leading fourth double-double of the season.

USF AGAINST 2007 NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS: This season, USF will play against seven teams that participated in the 2007 NCAA Tournament. Included in the seven opponents is this week's foe, San Diego. Heading into week 12 of the season, the Dons have posted a 5-3 record against 2007 Tournament participants. A year ago, USF posted a 3-8 overall record against NCAA postseason qualifiers.

MANDALA, BABIN EARN PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS: Sophomore opposite hitter Sarah Mandala and senior middle blocker Carly Babin have each been named the West Coast Conference Player of the Week this season, Mandala earned the honor on October 27 after recording a team-high 32 kills, averaging 4.57 per set, on .490 hitting against Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine. Babin earned the honor on October 14, after the Dons past San Diego on October 12 with a .826 hitting percentage

TAKING THE FIFTH: USF is 3-2 in five-set matches this season, taking a 3-2 victory against Missouri State (8/29), falling to Miami (9/13), posting a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Penn, posting a come-from behind 3-2 victory over Saint Mary's and seeing a comeback fall short, 3-2 at Gonzaga. The Dons have posted an impressive 19-12 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 14-8 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.

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 Invitational 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.