MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary's returns home this week in hopes of improving their conference record with a match against Gonzaga on Thursday and a match against Portland on Saturday.

Match #17
Saint Mary's Gaels (11-5, 3-3 WCC) vs. Gonzaga (6-11, 3-3 WCC)
Thursday, October 11, 2018 at 7 p.m.
Moraga, Calif. — McKeon Pavilion
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Match #18
Saint Mary's Gaels (11-5, 3-3 WCC) vs. Portland (14-4, 2-4 WCC)
Saturday, October 13, 2018 at 1 p.m.
Moraga, Calif. — McKeon Pavilion
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SCOUTING REPORT
The Gaels head into the week after losses against Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine. However, Saint Mary's played tough and added to their impressive service ace total, and they now average ranked 15th in the nation with 1.72 aces per set.

Seniors Lindsey Calvin and Lindsey Knudsen continue to be stat leaders for the Gaels. Calvin has the top hitting percentage of .282 which is followed closely by Knudsen's percentage of .245. Knudsen holds the number one spot for kills and has collected 192 so far, while Calvin is right on her heels with a total of 176. Junior Alexsa "Crash" Parker currently has 0.49 service aces per set, which has her tied for 17th in the nation and best in the conference.
 
GONZAGA
Gonzaga currently has a record of 3-3 in WCC play as they head to Moraga to take on the Gaels. The Bulldogs are coming off of a 3-0 sweep of USF, their first sweep since mid-September (LMU). Sarah Penner is currently leading the team with 186 kills and Jenna Kuehn currently holds the highest hitting percentage (.299).

In 2017, Saint Mary's and Gonzaga split their two contests. The Gaels hold an all-time edge of 35-27 over the Bulldogs.

PORTLAND
Portland has a 14-4 overall record this season with a 2-4 record in the WCC. The Pilots are coming off a 3-0 sweep of Santa Clara last week and will face Pacific on Thursday before their match against Saint Mary's on Saturday. Shayla Hoeft is leading the team with with a .350 hitting percentage and Reghan Pukis has 237.5 points which is the team-high.

The Gaels are 36-26 all-time against the Pilots.

UP NEXT
Saint Mary's will hit the road again next week and continue conference play with matches against San Francisco and Santa Clara.

#GaelsRise