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SMC California Athletics

Saint Mary's College Athletics Gaels
Elena Baka
Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
3
Winner Saint Mary's (CA) SMC 11-17, 7-11 WCC
1
San Francisco USF 8-21, 4-14 WCC
Winner
Saint Mary's (CA) SMC
11-17, 7-11 WCC
3
Final
1
San Francisco USF
8-21, 4-14 WCC
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Saint Mary's (CA) SMC 18 25 25 25 (3)
San Francisco USF 25 21 19 23 (1)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

VB | Gaels End Regular Season With a 3-1 Victory Over USF

MORAGA, Calif. — The Gaels ended the regular season on a high-note as they took down USF in four sets on Tuesday night.

HOW IT HAPPENED

SET ONE | Saint Mary's opened the match with a service ace from senior Alexsa "Crash" Parker before the Gaels and the Dons began trading points back and forth into the middle of the set. With USF up 9-7 after a number of rallies, the Dons went on a 6-0 run to extend their lead to eight points. SMC eventually broke the streak with a block from seniors Sienna Young and Aubrey Pitts, but the Dons continued to push the offense. Saint Mary's grabbed a number of blocks in the latter minutes of the set, but it was San Francisco who took set one 25-18 over SMC. The Gaels were only able to record five kills in the first set and freshman Elena Baka ended the first period leading the team with two.

SET TWO | The second set began even tighter than the first as each team responded to the other's point almost immediately in the beginning of the set. SMC would score two in a row to give themselves a 5-3 lead over USF, however the Dons then went on a 7-0 run including two consecutive kills and a service ace to break open a 10-5 lead over the Gaels. Baka broke their streak with her third kill of the night and Saint Mary's went on a 4-0 run shortly after to come back within a point of San Francisco. The teams went point-for-point through the middle of the set until it was all tied up at 16-16. SMC then went on a 6-2 run to gain the 22-18 advantage over USF before two kills from senior Alex O'Sullivan and a third from Young sealed the deal and gave the Gaels the 25-21 victory in set two.

SET THREE | The Dons went 4-1 to begin the third set against the Gael, but SMC wouldn't stay down for long as a kill from Baka began a 5-0 run for Saint Mary's that gave them the 7-5 lead early in the set. The two teams went back and forth during the middle portion of the set as the Gaels tacked on kills from Parker, Young, O'Sullivan, and Pitts before going on a 5-1 run to break the 20-point barrier and get the 21-15 lead over San Francisco. The Dons fought to bring it back within five points, but it was Saint Mary's in the end who won 25-19 and send the two teams into the fourth set.

SET FOUR | The fourth set was the closest of the entire night as neither team scored more than one point at a time until the ninth rally of the set when Saint Mary's scored three in a row to take the 7-4 lead. USF responded with two points of their own before the teams went point-for-point again late into the set. With the Gaels leading 15-13, SMC recorded two consecutive kills and a block to take their biggest lead of the set thus far (18-14), but USF would then go 3-0 to come back within a point of SMC. Saint Mary's then went 4-0 to take the 22-17 lead over San Francisco, but the Dons then went 6-1 to tie the match at 23-23. SMC came through when it mattered most and shut down USF's late surge with two kills from Pitts and Baka to seal the set and the match, giving SMC the 3-1 victory in the end.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
  • 10: Career-high number of blocks for Young
  • 2: Baka (12 kills, 17 digs) and Ashley (10 kills, 10 digs) both recorded double-doubles on Tuesday
  • 42: Assists for Parker against the Dons, just eight shy of her season-high
  • .152: San Francisco's hitting percentage against Saint Mary's
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