MORAGA, Calif. – Looking to continue their five-game winning streak, Saint Mary's volleyball will close out their homestand and non-conference play with a pair of matches against Nevada and Cal.
 
First, the Gaels will face the Wolf Pack on Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. in McKeon Pavilion with Saturday's match against the Bears beginning at 3:00 p.m.
 
SCOUTING REPORT: Saint Mary's enters the week with a 6-2 overall record, having won each of their previous five matchups. Both senior middle blocker Lindsey Calvin and senior outside hitter Lindsey Knudsen are tied for the team-lead with 102 kills while Calvin is the Gaels' leader with a .311 hitting percentage. Meanwhile, junior middle blocker Alex O'Sullivan leads SMC with an impressive, 49 blocks including 1.48 per set.
 
University of Nevada: The Wolf Pack have been on a hot streak to open the 2018 season, winning seven of their first nine matches. Most recently, they won two out of three contests at the Sacramento State Tournament, defeating Seattle University 3-0 and UC Riverside 3-2. Kayla Afoa is Nevada's leader in kills (118), but Dalyn Burns is the team's most efficient hitter with a .414 percentage.
 
Cal: The Bears also enter the weekend with a 7-2 record, only suffering losses to Gonzaga and South Dakota. Mima Mirkovic has produced the most kills thus far (115), collecting 22 more than her next-closest teammate. With 137 total attempts, Preslie Anderson touts a .416 hitting percentage (69 kills) while also leading the team with a total of 29 blocks.
 
LAST WEEKEND: The Gaels defeated two opponents by a total match score of 6-3, downing Southern Utah in five sets and Hofstra in four. Knudsen was SMC's biggest offensive performer, collecting 32 kills in the two matches, including a career-high, 21 against Southern Utah.
 
UP NEXT: After 10 non-conference matches, Saint Mary's will hit the road for their first West Coast Conference action of the 2018 season, taking on both San Diego and BYU.
 
#GaelsRise – For ticket information to all home volleyball matches call the SMC Ticket Office today at 925-631-4689 or click the ticket link above to purchase your seats now…Saint Mary's Volleyball…#GaelsRise