STOCKTON, Calif. -- It was another comeback victory Tuesday for the Saint Mary's beach volleyball team, as the Gaels won the final three pairs after dropping the first two to defeat Pacific, 3-2.
Saint Mary's (6-2) won No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 pairs Tuesday after Pacific took the No. 4 and No. 5 pairs. The comeback started with SMC's No. 3 pair of freshmen Emily Bible and Lindsey Calvin. Bible and Calvin defeated Pacific's Jess Hess and Mia Fiener in straight sets, 21-15, 21-19.
"I'm really proud of the way Emily and Lindsey stepped into their role in the three's position today," said Saint Mary's head coach Jordan Shaw. "They saw the team was down 2-0 and they both came out with a really strong effort and great energy to take advantage of the opportunity they had to keep their teammates in the game."
Mary Hernandez and Payton Rund stayed undefeated on the year with their eighth straight win at No. 2 pairs. Hernandez and Rund won with ease, beating Kimmy Whitson and Alicja Wilk, 21-11, 21-16. The comeback was completed by Saint Mary's No. 1 pair of Dalas Dodd and Lindsey Knudsen. The duo topped Pacific's No. 1 pair of Lexi Elman and Andie Shelton, 21-13 and 23-21.
"These duel matches against a single opponent give us a great chance to focus on executing a specific game plan," said Shaw. "I think the top three pairs executed those game plans really effectively and that's why they came out on top."
The Gaels' busy week continues Wednesday with their first home match of the season. Saint Mary's hosts Sacramento State at 4 p.m. at Heather Farms Park in Walnut Creek.
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