Dec. 2, 2003

Complete NCAA Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

SAN FRANCISCO ADVANCES TO FIRST NCAA TOURNAMENT: USF's record-setting season of firsts was capped with the first NCAA Tournament berth in program history as announced Sunday, Nov. 30. The Dons head south on Highway 101 to Stanford where they will face Pacific Thursday at 5:00 PM at Maples Pavilion. The Dons (23-7) making their first tournament showing square off against the Tigers (17-13), who have qualified for all 23 NCAA showcases, winning back-to-back Division I titles in 1985-86. The host Cardinal will take on Sacramento State on the other side of the bracket with the winner playing Friday at 7:00 PM. The winner of Friday's contest will advance to the Sweet-16.

FOUR DONS NAMED ALL-WEST COAST CONFERENCE: USF's fourth place finish in the demanding West Coast Conference was rewarded with a record number of all-league selections. Senior All-American candidate Brittanie Budinger was the lone representative on the first team, making the squad for the second straight season. Freshman outside hitter Theresa Hart earned Honorable Mention selection after rating third in kills and digs during her first season of volleyball on the Hilltop. Senior middle blocker Teresa Russell also earned Honorable Mention selection for the second time in her standout career, after winning recognition as a freshman in 1999. Senior outside hitter Caroline Skacel also garnered votes after establishing career numbers in her final season. Budinger is the first player in program history to earn First Team selection twice. USF Hall-of-Famer Melanie Kaiser (1988-91) earned a first team (1990) and a pair of second team nods while standout middle Lisa Tschannen (1989-92) was first team (1993) and second (1990).

USF OWNS WCC RECORD TURNAROUND: Following a pivotal 3-2 season-ending West Coast Conference victory at Saint Mary's, the Dons have now won 17 more matches than they won during the entire 2002 campaign. The turnaround is the best in program history, surpassing the 1999 squad's 12-match rebound and sets a new WCC record. Pepperdine held the record for greatest turnaround at +15 in 1995. The 17-match swing is also the best posted in Division I volleyball this season and is the second WCC record the Dons set ins 2003. San Francisco also posted the best start in league history at 15-0.

BUDINGER SHATTERS CAREER, SINGLE-SEASON KILLS RECORDS: Senior All-American candidate Brittanie Budinger assault on the USF career record books continued with USF's regular season-ending victory at Saint Mary's. Budinger built on her career and single-season records and after a 22-kill, 25-dig night against the Gaels she completed the regular season with 1,507 career kills with a single-season best 545 coming during her senior, All-West Coast Conference First Team season. Budinger also stands in second place on the all-time record books for career digs (1,177) and is one of just two players to record 1,100 career digs and kills, joining USF Hall-of-Famer Melanie Kaiser (1988-91). Budinger owns the two highest single-season kills tallies in program history after pounding a team-high 504 in 2002 and is the only player to surpass 500.

BUDINGER CONSISTENTLY DOUBLING UP: Senior outside hitter Brittanie Budinger posted her West Coast Conference-leading 21st double-double of the season with a 22-kill, 24-dig effort in USF's regular season-ending victory at Saint Mary's. Budinger has now posted 11 double-doubles during league action and has reached double-digit kills in 38 consecutive matches dating back to last season.

Teresa Russell DOMINATES CAREER BLOCKS RECORD: With seven blocks in USF's 3-1 West Coast Conference victory against Saint Mary's, senior middle blocker Teresa Russell captured USF's all-time blocks record and currently has 450 in her Hilltop after passing Chiara Lawrence (1993-96), who tallied 419. Earlier this season, Russell became the seventh player in USF volleyball history to surpass 1,000 career kills and the second Don this season (Brittanie Budinger) and rates fourth on the career charts with 1,226 kills and is seventh with 910 digs. In USF's historic win against #22 San Diego, Russell turned in her second career triple-double with a 22 kills, 12 digs and 10 blocks.

April Scoggin SETTING THE TONE: With 65 assists in USF's big win against #22 San Diego, senior setter April Scoggin moved into second place on the all-time assists list, passing Sarah McCandless (1992-95), who tallied 2,989. Scoggin currently has 3,158 in four years on the Hilltop. In addition, Scoggin's 1,420 assists this year sets a new single-season record.

CAROLINE SKACEL = OUTSTANDING DEFENSE: Senior outside hitter Caroline Skacel continued her strong senior season in the regular season finale at Saint Mary's, finishing with 12 kills and a season-high 21 digs. Skacel became the second player to surpass 1,000 digs this season (Budinger) and fourth overall. Currently, Skacel ranks fourth in career digs (1,030) and is fifth all-time in service aces (105). Skacel turned in nine double-double nights this season.

YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE HART: Freshman outside hitter Theresa Hart has made an impact for USF in her first season of collegiate volleyball and has started every match for the Dons this season. Hart ranks third on the team in kills (2.39) and digs (2.47). Hart ranks second among West Coast Conference leaders in aces (45) and finished the regular season ranked 12th with 11 double-doubles - the most by any league freshman.

WHAT A BRACKET: San Francisco begins their first trip to the NCAA Tournament at Stanford, but the three teams joining the Dons at Maples Pavilion are certainly not strangers to the pressures of the postseason. The Cardinal and the Tigers are two of just four teams to qualify for every Division I tournament (Penn State and Santa Barbara) and have won a combined seven national titles. Stanford owns five titles (1992, 1994, 1996-97, 2001), while Pacific won hardware back-to-back (1985-86). Sacramento State makes their sixth appearance in seven years.

USF, NELSON SURPASSES 20 VICTORIES: USF recorded their 20th victory of the season at Gonzaga, reaching the 20-win milestone for the first time in program history. The next night, the Dons recorded win number 21 at Portland. After a 3-2 victory at West Coast Conference and Bay Area rival Saint Mary's, USF recorded their 23rd win of the season, tying the most registered by a USF Fall sport since the men's soccer program went 23-0-2 en route to capturing the 1980 NCAA Division I Championship. For USF head coach Jeff Nelson, it was the sixth time in nine seasons he has guided a team to a 20-plus win season after accomplishing the feat five times in eight seasons at Texas Tech.

NELSON LEADS DONS INTO THE POSTSEASON: While USF is a stranger to the NCAA Tournament, USF first-year head coach Jeff Nelson is not and will guide his sixth team in nine seasons to the postseason. In eight seasons as the head coach at Texas Tech, Nelson led the Red Raiders to five post season berths coming out of the demanding Big-12 Conference. No stranger to turning programs around, Nelson catapulted Texas Tech into the NCAA Tournament his first season Lubbock.

RECORDS FELL OFTEN IN 2003: USF Volleyball set numerous team single-season records during the 2003 campaign. The previous mark is in parentheses. Wins: 23 (17, 1985); Winning Percentage: .767 (.567, 1985); Kills: 1,818 (1,726, 1995); Hitting Percentage: .240 (.207, 2000); Assists: 1,642 (1,527, 2000)

DONS PERFECT IN NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE: With a 3-2 victory against Sacramento State, USF closed out the non-conference portion of the schedule with a perfect 16-0 record. San Francisco won four tournaments, highlighted by a 3-2 victory in Pullman against then #19 Washington State and went 14-0 away from the friendly confines of War Memorial Gym.

SAN FRANCISCO AGAINST THE NATIONAL ELITE: USF posted their first victory against a top-25 team when they upset #19 Washington State August 30 in Pullman at the 2003 Cougar Challenge. More impressively, the Dons have not lost this season to an opponent not appearing in the top-25, posting a 2-7 record against the nationally elite. San Francisco owns a 4-7 record against teams appearing in the 2003 NCAA Tournament.

A LOOK AT THE TIGERS San Francisco opens their first NCAA Tournament against perennial national power Pacific Thursday, Dec. 4 in Maples. No stranger to the NCAA tournament, Pacific is one of just four teams (Penn State, Santa Barbara and Stanford) to advance to all 23 NCAA Tournaments. USF plays the Tigers for the first time since the 1983 campaign when the Dons were members of the NORPAC Conference. Pacific compiled a 17-13 overall record in 2003 and posted a 9-9 mark in the Big West, good for seventh place. Senior three-time All-American middle blocker Jennifer Joines leads the way for the Tiger offense, averaging 5.55 kills on .334 hitting and adds 2.10 digs and 1.18 blocks per game. Junior setter Hayley Anderson runs the Pacific attack and dishes out 12.39 assists per game and adds 1.29 kills and 2.45 digs. Sophomore outside hitter Ashley Groothuis adds 2.89 kills and 2.28 digs per match for Pacific, while freshman outside hitter Stevie Mussie chips in with 2.47 kills and 2.39 digs. The Tigers hit at a .251 clip as a team and hold opponents to a .235 attack percentage. Jayne McHugh is in her third year as Pacific head coach and served 12 seasons as an assistant coach at her alma mater.

Series Record vs. USF: Pacific leads 16-0

Last Meeting: Pacific 3, at USF 0 (11/8/83)

Common 2003 Opponents:
Pacific Result	Opponent	USF Result
W 3-1 (8/29)	Santa Clara	L 0-3 (10/17 & 11/15)
W 3-1 (9/5)	Wichita State	W 3-2 (8/29)
L 1-3 (9/13)	Pepperdine	L 1-3 (10/3) L 2-3 (11/1)
W 3-0 (11/11)	Sacramento St.	W 3-2 (10/21)

Probable Pacific Starters
S   #1 Hayley Anderson, 5-11 Jr. (1.31 kpg 12.29 apg 2.49 dpg 0.54 bpg)
OH #4 Joanna Rentz, 5-11 Jr. (2.01 kpg, 0.80 apg 2.91 dpg 0.46 bpg)
MB #6 Jennifer Joines, 6-3 Sr. (5.58 kpg, 0.27 apg, 2.05 dpg, 1.17 bpg)
OH #8 Stevie Mussie, 5-11 Fr. (2.52 kpg, 0.15 apg, 2.22 dpg, 0.37 bpg)
OH #9 Ashley Groothuis, 6-1 So. (2.77 kpg, 0.15 apg, 2.18 dpg, 0.46 bpg)
L   #10 Kristen Kalend, 5-7 So. (0.01 kpg, 0.10 apg, 1.20 dpg, 0.00 bpg)
MB #13 Sarah Vinall, 6-3 Jr. (1.78 kpg, 0.13 apg, 1.47 dpg, 0.64 bpg)

Probable San Francisco Starters
S   #1 April Scoggin, 5-9, Sr. (0.71 kpg, 12.68 apg, 1.78 dpg, 0.39 bpg)
OH #7 Brittanie Budinger, 5-9, Sr. (4.78 kpg, 0.24 apg, 3.48 dpg 0.61 bpg)
MB #10 Liz MacAusland, 6-1 Sr. (1.54 kpg, 0.12 apg, 2.16 dpg, 0.65 bpg)
MB #11 Teresa Russell, 6-1, Sr. (3.85 kpg, 0.25 apg, 213 dpg, 1.18 bpg)
OH #12 Caroline Skacel, 6-0, Sr. (2.29 kpg, 0.55 apg, 3.15 dpg, 0.47 bpg)
OH #20 Theresa Hart, 5-10, Fr. (2.39 kpg, 0.10 apg, 2.47 dpg, 0.31 bpg)

MATCH BROADCAST ON THE INTERNET: USF's First Round NCAA match against Pacific will be broadcast live on the internet by the University of the Pacific. Mike Millerick will bring the play-by-play from Maples. USF fans wishing to access the broadcast can go to the Pacific website at www.pacifictigers.com and click on the audio broadcast button for all the action.