SVB | Gaels Sweep Their Way To Pair Of Wins
4/6/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Beach Volleyball
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Even a double dose of action couldn't slow the Saint Mary's sand volleyball team down Saturday as the Gaels earned 5-0 wins over both Cal Poly and Cal to wrap up their two-day trip to Sacramento with a spotless 3-0 record.
With the victories, the No. 9-ranked Gaels improve to 7-0 overall. Saint Mary's returns to action on Monday when it hosts Santa Clara at 4 p.m. in Moraga.
Saint Mary's 5, Cal Poly 0
The Gaels kicked off their day with a couple hard fought victories from the bottom of the lineup and the winning ways only continued as Saint Mary's pulled away for a sweep of the Mustangs.
Saint Mary's No. 4 and 5 teams hit the sand first and their play helped set the tone for a successful match to come. At No. 5, Milena Popovic and Maegan Conroy got their day started on a positive note, scoring a 21-16, 21-16 win over Shannon Fouts and Taylor Gruenewald at No. 5. Popovic provided the match-winner, finishing it with a hard swing for the final point.
Meanwhile, Sarah Reams and Alexis Salmons found themselves in a tight match at No. 4, with Cal Poly's Stacia Williams and Anna Gorman taking the first set 21-19 only to see Reams and Salmons win the second 21-15. The third set stayed close until the very end, with Cal Poly's duo leading 13-12 late in the match. Reams and Salmons fought back though, winning the next three points to claim a 15-13 win and take the match.
The other three matches offered far less drama but saw plenty of good play from Saint Mary's. Rachel Gillcrist and Mileva Popovic moved up to No. 3 and won 21-10, 21-17 over Hannah Schleis and Kate Walters while Kristina Graven and Natalie Loos stayed undefeated at No. 2 with a 21-11, 23-21 victory over Megan Groess and Nicole Keller.
The Gaels' No. 1 team of Jordan Shaw and Samantha Tinsley finished the match off with a 21-11, 21-14 victory over Jennifer Caddy and Katie Conroy, giving Saint Mary's the clean sweep in its first match of the day.
Saint Mary's 5, Cal 0
After a few hours to rest and recover, the Gaels resumed action at the Sacramento Softball Complex and rolled to the same result as they did in the morning, sweeping the Golden Bears to finish the day on a great note.
Conroy and Milena Popovic again helped set things in motion for Saint Mary's with a strong performance at No. 5. This time, the scores were even more lopsided in favor of the Gaels as the duo beat Emily Lunt and Caroline Olson 21-11, 21-8 for the first win of the day.
A different pair of Gaels played No. 4 against Cal but again the match needed a third set to decide a winner. This time, Gillcrist and Mileva Popovic moved into the fourth spot in the lineup and squared off with Cal's Katarina Milosavljevic and Sabrina Blackwell. Gillcrist and Popovic dropped the first set 21-17 but came out hungry in the second for a 21-7 set win. In the third, SMC's duo built an early 8-3 lead and held off a late charge by Cal to win 16-14 and claim the match.
Dalas Dodd returned to the lineup for the afternoon match and teamed for the third time this season with Salmons at No. 3. Unlike their first two matches, Dodd and Salmons didn't need a third set as they knocked off Nikki Gombar and Maddy Kerr with a 21-16, 21-15 victory.
Gravne and Loos dropped a close first set to Lara Vukasovic and Sarah Cole but rebounded to take the next two, winning 23-25, 21-18, 15-9 at No. 2. And, just as they did in the morning session, Shaw and Tinsley provided the perfect end to the proceedings with a 21-15, 21-11 victory over Adrienne Gehan and Joan Caloiaro.
SB | Odhi Vasquez and Hannah Ferguson Highlights vs. Pacific, 3-27-26
Monday, March 30
BSB | Saint Mary's at Portland Highlights, 3-29-26
Sunday, March 29
SB | Saint Mary's vs. Pacific Highlights, 3-29-26
Sunday, March 29
BSB | Saint Mary's at Portland Highlights, 3-28-26
Saturday, March 28
