The Dons, coming off a 12-19 season and beginning their fourth year under coach Jennifer Azzi, will play Columbia in its season opener Nov. 8 at War Memorial Gymnasium. Home games against Sonoma State on Nov. 16 and Cal State Monterey Bay on Nov. 18 follow. The 2 p.m. game against Sonoma State will be part of a doubleheader that includes the Dons men’s basketball team’s season opener against South Carlina State at 7 p.m.
There will also be a women’s basketball-women’s volleyball doubleheader Nov. 25. After the volleyball team plays Pacific in its final regular-season match at 5 p.m., the basketball team takes on Nevada at 7:30 p.m. in what is being billed as Ladies Night.
Seven of the Dons’ 11 nonconference games are at War Memorial.
USF will be home for the holidays as a stretch of four games wrap around Christmas. Included in that is the West Coast Conference opener against Pacific on Dec. 27.
The Dons return a wealth of experience from last season and have only one senior on their roster.
“I’m pleased with the way our preseason schedule came together,” Azzi said in a statement from the school. “I think each team presents a unique challenge to us, and they’re all very different.”
USF schedule
Nov. 8 vs. St. Thomas* 2 p.m.
Nov. 14 vs. Columbia 7 p.m.
Nov. 16 vs. Sonoma State 2 p.m.
Nov. 18 vs. Cal State Monterey Bay 7 p.m.
Nov. 22 at UC Riverside 2 p.m.
Nov. 25 vs. Nevada 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 29 vs. Utah Valley 7 p.m.
Dec. 3 at UC Davis 7 p.m.
Dec. 7 at Long Beach State 2 p.m.
Dec. 14 at Seattle 2 p.m.
Dec. 17 vs. North Texas 7 p.m.
Dec. 20 vs. San Jose State 2 p.m.
Dec. 27 vs. Pacific 2 p.m.
Dec. 29 vs. St. Mary’s 7 p.m.
Jan. 1 at San Diego TBD
Jan. 3 at BYU TBD
Jan. 8 vs. Gonzaga 7 p.m.
Jan. 10 vs. Portland 2 p.m.
Jan. 17 vs. Santa Clara 2 p.m.
Jan. 22 at Pepperdine TBD
Jan. 24 at Loyola Marymount TBD
Jan. 29 vs. BYU 7 p.m.
Jan. 31 vs. San Diego 2 p.m.
Feb. 5 at Portland TBD
Feb. 7 at Gonzaga TBD
Feb. 14 at Santa Clara TBD
Feb. 19 vs. Loyola Marymount 7 p.m.
Feb. 21 vs. Pepperdine 2 p.m.
Feb. 26 at St. Mary’s TBD
Feb. 28 at Pacific TBD
* exhibition