MORAGA, Calif. — On a roster that featured four vacancies following graduation, Saint Mary's Women's Volleyball filled up the first three of those holes with incoming freshman. The final spot appears to be taken with the Gaels announcing the transfer of Hawley Harrer to Saint Mary's after spending two seasons in the Pac-12 with UCLA.
 
Standing at 6'2", Harrer can play both the opposite and setter positions, and did so during her two seasons as a Bruin. She appeared in 26 matches over her two seasons, putting up 78 kills and 134 assists, with all but one of those assists coming in 2019 when the Bruins featured her in the setter position. The two best performances of her career came against Long Beach State, where she put up a career-best 10 kills against Long Beach in 2018, and a season-best 9 in 2019. In an early September match against Georgia in 2019, she totaled 6 kills, 23 assists, and 9 digs.
 
"Everything about Hawley fits seamlessly with the SMC VB family," said head coach Rob Browning. "She is an outstanding athlete and a well-rounded, highly-skilled player. We expect her to have an immediate impact on our team by raising the competitive level in our gym. We are looking to Hawley to contribute particularly as an attacker and a blocker. She has shown that she can be dominant at the net. What's special about Hawley is that she can also set for us whenever we need her to."
 
Harrer was born in Honolulu, Hawaii but spent her high school years just north of California in Sisters, Oregon. She excelled in four sports at Sisters High School, competing in swimming, tennis, and track in addition to her four years on the court. Harrer was a three-time Sky-Em League Player of the Year and won state titles for the Outlaws (mascot of Sisters High) during her junior and senior seasons. Her list of high school accolades doesn't stop there, as she was he 4A Player of the Year as a junior and a finalist for the Oregon Sports Award Athlete of the Year and Volleyball Player of the Year.
 
"In addition to her on court skills, Hawley is the type of person that will strengthen our team culture," added coach Browning. "She is bright, strong, and highly motivated to be the best she can be on the court, in the classroom, and in her personal life. We can't wait to get going with our team with Hawley as our newest member."
 
It's no surprise that Harrer chose to compete collegiately in athletics, as athletics runs deep in her veins and family roots. She is the youngest of three, and both of her siblings had successful athletic careers in college. Her older sister Hannah played three seasons of volleyball at Cal Poly Pomona, and her brother Justin was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates out of Washington State. Her love of volleyball came from her parents, who both played professional beach volleyball. Her mother, Janice, is a 2012 inductee of the Beach Volleyball Hall of Fame after winning 13 combined U.S. and World Championships, playing on the AVP, WPVA, and FIVB Tours.
 
The 2020 Volleyball season is right around the corner. Stay tuned to smcgaels.com for updates regarding the schedule, ticket sales, and streaming information.
 
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