Fall sports return to USD

Fans are back in stadiums as USD kicks off its 2021 fall season

Mari Olson / Sports Editor / The USD Vista

For the first time since 2019, fall sports are back at the University of San Diego. 

While many of USD’s fall sports, including volleyball, football, and men’s and women’s soccer, did get to compete during Spring 2021, it has been two years since these sports competed in a “regular season.” 

USD Athletic Director Bill McGillis knows that the pandemic had a big effect on athletes.

“Last year, there were a lot of stops and starts due to the pandemic,” McGillis said. “I don’t think we had a single scholar-athlete who really had the full USD athletic experience.” 

For nearly two years, most fans were not allowed back into USD venues to watch their teams. However, under the current guidelines from San Diego County, the State of California, and the CDC, the school is preparing for stadiums and venues to be at full fan capacity this fall. 

For now, masks will be required at indoor venues like the Jenny Craig Pavilion, where volleyball will play this fall. However, at Torero Stadium, the outdoor venue home to men’s and women’s soccer as well as football, masks will not be required. 

Contingency plans will be put in place if the pandemic situation changes during the fall, but at this time, McGillis is anticipating a “much more fan-friendly environment.” 

“We are very well positioned right now for a very good fall semester,” McGillis said. 

Although McGillis and the Athletic Department faced some challenges this summer, everyone is optimistic that the semester will run smoothly and successfully. 

The school had to wait for guidance from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) about COVID-19 protocols this semester and data about the vaccination rates of the scholar athletes at USD. NCAA guidelines were received last week, so that plans for testing and other virus protocols can be refined and put into place.

Vaccination data also arrived two weeks ago. McGillis is very positive about scholar-athletes’ vaccination rates.

“We think that prior to the start of school, we will have 95% or more of our scholar-athletes vaccinated,” McGillis said. “That will position us for success and will affect our opportunities to stay on the field.” 

The most important thing about USD Athletics this fall, however, is that athletes will have the opportunity to compete regularly and fans will have the opportunity to support their friends and classmates. McGillis emphasized the importance of this support for the school and students.

“I’m excited for the student body at large to be able to get back in the stands, with their friends, party within reason, tailgate, and experience the fun of a college campus and college athletics,” McGillis said. 

The most important games to attend this fall will be the first home games during the school year of the four fall sports that play on campus. Women’s soccer plays Long Beach State on September 2, men’s soccer plays UC Riverside on September 3, football plays Cal Poly on September 4, and volleyball plays UCLA on September 9. 

“Volleyball is going into the fall ranked top 25 in the nation,” McGillis said. 

Led by Coach Jennifer Petrie, USD Volleyball is one of the school’s most exciting prospects this fall. 

“First and foremost, we always strive to win a national championship,” Coach Petrie said. “Obviously the West Coast Conference Championship is another one.” 

Volleyball will open their pre-season schedule at the University of Texas on August 28. Texas is ranked first in the nation and played in the NCAA finals last season. 

Coach Petrie explained that she prepares her team for the conference season by matching them up against tough opponents.

“I like to make sure that our pre-season schedule prepares us to play the best, and we’ve got a very challenging schedule coming up,” Coach Petrie said. 

Coach Petrie is excited about the team she built for this season as well. 

“The team has been really solid together, and I think a lot of that is that the incoming players came here in the middle of June. They have bonded a lot in the summer, they know their way around campus, and they got to know each other really well, so it was a big leg up heading into our competitive season,” she said. 

Volleyball’s two biggest conference competitors are BYU and Pepperdine. USD plays Pepperdine at home on November 13, and BYU at home on November 23 as their final conference game of the season. 

Men’s and women’s soccer kick off the first games of the 2021 USD fall season. 

Coach Brian Quinn of Men=’s Soccer can’t wait for their season to kick off, especially after last season was affected by COVID. 

“We are coming in this first week, integrating a lot of new players, some local, some international, and the atmosphere of the group has been really, really good,” Coach Quinn said. 

Coach Quinn described last season, Spring 2021, as a “stop/go” season as players had to isolate because of COVID-19. 

But, he said, it “seems like we’re past that now because everyone on the team is vaccinated.” The team can fully focus on its primary goal of making the NCAA tournament. 

Coach Quinn highlighted the local games against San Diego State University at home on October 15, and against new Division I team UC San Diego at home on September 22, as games that fans won’t want to miss. 

Both Petrie and Quinn also emphasized the importance of the first home game for students to come out and support their teams. 

“I hope the student body comes together in a big way,”  McGillis said of unrestricted fan capacity at games and races this fall. 

USD fall sports are back, and the opportunity to establish new sporting traditions, support Torero athletes and catch some live games is one that can’t be missed.