Match #21
Saint Mary's Gaels (8-12, WCC 4-6) vs. BYU Cougars (18-3, WCC 9-1)
Thursday, October 31, 2019 at 6:00 p.m.
Provo, Utah — Smith Fieldhouse
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Match #22
Saint Mary's Gaels (8-12, WCC 4-6) vs. San Diego Toreros (16-5, WCC 9-1)
Saturday, November 2, 2019 at Noon 
San Diego, Calif. — Jenny Craig Pavilion
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MORAGA, Calif. – The Gaels will embark on their second to last road trip of the season this week as they look to face off against No. 11 BYU and San Diego.

SCOUTING REPORT
Saint Mary's has achieved a record of 8-12 and they are now 4-6 in the conference after splitting their matches last week. The Gaels played tough against the No.5 team in the WCC Santa Clara on Thursday, but eventually fell in four sets after winning the second set. They bounced back on Saturday as they swept San Francisco in three quick sets. SMC also had a strong defensive match against the Dons as they collected 13 blocks which is just one shy of their season high. They are now ranked third in the conference with an average 2.33 blocks per set. Senior Alexsa "Crash" Parker is also nationally ranked at 46th and is third in the conference with an average of 0.43 aces per set.

Senior Alex O'Sullivan had a productive week as she accumulated a total of nine block assists, two block solos, and seven kills. O'Sullivan recorded seven block assists in the match on Saturday against San Francisco which was one shy of her season high (8) that she recorded on October 17 against LMU. During the match against the Lions, she also collected 11 kills which was good for her new season-high. Over the course of the last four matches, she has recorded 21 block assists and 25 kills.

Senior Aubrey Pitts has also been a strong presence for the Gaels as of late as she recorded nine block assists in the two matches last week. Pitts is now second in the WCC and 25th in the nation with an average of 1.35 blocks per set. She currently leads the team with a total of 75 blocks and 68 block assists. Pitts also recorded a total of 12 kills in the matches against Santa Clara and San Francisco.

NO. 11 BYU
The BYU Cougars have a record of 18-3 this season and they are 9-1 in conference play. The Cougars are tied for first in the WCC with San Diego and their 18-3 record is good enough for 11th in the nation. BYU is currently on a two-match winning streak following a loss to USD, but prior to the loss they were on a 10-match winning streak dating back to September 14. The only three losses the Cougars have taken this season have been against two ranked opponents: Texas (No. 3 at the time), and Marquette (No. 16 at the time), as well as San Diego. BYU has a home record of 8-2 this year, with their last loss at home taking place on October 18 against USD. The Cougars hold the all-time record over the Gaels at 13-6; Saint Mary's has not won a match against BYU since the 2013 season. In 2017, SMC took the Cougars to five sets, but were unable to complete the victory.

SAN DIEGO
The Toreros are 16-5 this season with a WCC record of 9-1, which has them tied for first in the conference with BYU. San Diego is the second-highest nationally ranked team in the WCC at 34th behind only the Cougars. The Toreros won their most recent match against LMU, but had their 13-match win streak snapped when they took a loss to Pepperdine on October 24. Prior to their match against the Waves, USD had not lost a match since September 13 when they fell to UC Santa Barbara. The Toreros had a tough start to their season as they went 2-3, but turned it around shortly after as they only took two losses in the first full month of the season. San Diego is 7-1 on their home court this year, with their only home loss being against Nebraska, who was No.2 at the time, on September 7. The Toreros hold the all-time advantage over the Gaels (52-12), but the Gaels took wins in both of their matches against USD during the 2018 season.
 
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