FOLSOM, Calif. – Senior middle blocker Lily Zeff totaled 16 kills and a .536 hitting average while senior libero Jacqueline Smith amassed 37 digs, as St. Francis swept its three pool-play matches before falling to host Folsom in the Bulldog Bash girls' high school volleyball tournament Saturday.

The Troubadours, last year's Delta League champion and Sac-Joaquin Section runner-up, open the new season at 3-1. They swept Roseville (25-11, 25-20) and Cordova (25-14, 25-19) to begin the day, then went to the rubber set in a victory over Del Oro (25-14, 22-25, 15-9). This paired SF with the tourney host in bracket play, with the Bulldogs coming away with a 17-25, 25-21, 15-8 comeback win.

Zeff hit an errorless 5-for-9 against the Tigers and Bulldogs to bookend the day. Senior Caroline Foraker led the offense with 10 kills against Roseville, with fellow senior Amanda Silber posting a pair of blocks. Oddly, St. Francis fell into an early hole in the second set, with a trio of attacking errors granting the Tigers a 10-5 start. Foraker pounded out kills from all parts of the court – the left pin, the back row, and her usual spot on the right side – while teaming with Zeff on a stuff to highlight a 7-1 run that left the Troubies up by a 17-14 margin. Roseville closed the gap to a single point at 20-19 before Kelsey Magley and Lana Ezeani each scored kills down the stretch for the five-point victory.

In the second match, Smith had four of St. Francis' 13 total aces while leading with six digs. Magley enjoyed the opportunity to contribute as a pin hitter, allowing juniors Nika Jafari and Sydney Chow some reps at setter against the Lancers. In fact, the playing time was spread around many of the varsity newcomers, as juniors Gabrielle Rowe and Natalie Sandoval led the offense with four kills apiece, while freshman Hailey Sutton took the most swings on the attack (13).

In the end, it was the Troubie serving game that largely clinched the match. Cordova managed four straight points to take a 17-16 lead late in the second, but Smith had three aces and Nika Jafari added another as part of a 9-2 finish to the frame.

St. Francis dominated the early going against Del Oro, with a 10-2 start to the opener. Silber paired with Ezeani and Foraker on blocks during that stretch, with Foraker providing kills on each end of the net. Smith served up back-to-back aces to end the first set, then Veronica Datwyler rolled off five straight aces early in the second. However, the tables turned for the Eagles later in the second, with setter Bella Rasi managing five aces of her own in a 6-0 span that lifted DO to an 18-12 lead. Freshman Sydney Weber closed out the stanza with a tool and a solo block, forcing the rubber set.

The Troubies regrouped in the third, with Ezeani notching half of her match-high eight kills in the deciding set. She finished at 8-3-15 on the attack, Smith and Datwyler posted dig totals of 13 and eight, respectively; and Magley took over the setting chores exclusively with 25 assists.

The Bulldog Bash then reorganized to four four-team brackets, with St. Francis and Folsom – seeded first in each of their round robin pools – meeting in the semifinal. Foraker led the charge in the first set with seven of her 12 kills while combining with Silber on another block. The Troubies never trailed in Set 1 but they did see a 16-9 lead, forged after back-to-back Magley aces, wither to a 16-16 tie.

Still, St. Francis also came out strong in the second, with a Zeff solo stuff capping a 10-4 start. But Folsom rallied back to 10-10 for the first of six ties in the set. The Bulldogs finished with six straight points, flipping a 21-19 Troubie lead to a 25-21 victory, forcing a deciding set. St. Francis committed five attacking errors in the third, while an errant free ball provided Folsom with another easy kill as part of a 5-0 run.

Credit Smith with a team-high 12 digs and Foraker for a 12-5-34 (.206) hitting chart against Folsom. Datwyler managed three more aces for a total of 13 on the day.

All three SF volleyball teams head to Rocklin on Tuesday. The frosh and JV squads take on the Thunder at 5 p.m, with varsity following the JV match at 6 p.m.