LOS ANGELES — As the season heads for the final few weeks, there is no denying that Saint Mary's Volleyball is in a better place than they were to begin the year. The Gaels entered Saturday's match at Loyola Marymount as winners of five of their last six, and upped that streak to six of their last seven with a three-set sweep of the Lions at their place. This marks the second-straight year the Gaels have picked up a win at Gersten Pavilion, improving to 14-9 (8-6) overall while dropping the struggling Lions to 15-8 (6-7).
 
HAVE A MATCH, HAWLEY!
Gaels fans know what Hawley Harrer can bring to a match, as she has shown it in her two years in Moraga. But she was the most outstanding attacker on either side Saturday afternoon, leading all players in kills with 13, tying a season-best that she also put up against LMU in their first matchup. She had just one error in the match and a hitting percentage of .600, easily her best mark of the season. Harrer was not just strong but consistent throughout, recording at least four kills in every set.
 
BLOCKING BETTER
As the season has transpired, the Gaels block has cooled off a bit from the blazing hot start it got off to in non-conference play. There have still been matches where the block party gets activated, and Saturday afternoon was definitely one of those. Saint Mary's recorded 10 blocks on Saturday against the Lions, compared to just three for LMU. To no one's surprise, it was Jennifer "Boo" Laird leading the way at the net, with five block assists to lead all Gaels. Elena Baka was a contributor as well, with two solo blocks for just the second time in her collegiate career. All-in-all, six different Gaels teamed up on at least on block in the Saturday sweep.
 
COMING OUT HOT
It's tough to ask for a better start than how the Gaels opened up on Saturday against the Lions, racing out to a 9-2 advantage just 11 points into the match. One of the most impressive features of that opening run was the serving of Kelsey Knudsen, who recorded three-consecutive aces for the first time in her career, making it a 5-1 lead early. Knudsen wound up finishing with four aces to set a career-best, but then the Gaels attack took over. Baka and Chandler Cowell began to rack up the kills, finishing with eight and seven, respectively. Saint Mary's never let LMU get closer than six points.
 
BROWNING BITES
"Another very good showing by our team. We are getting better with every match and that is the goal. The team came out focused and ready to battle and they never let up." – head coach, Rob Browning
 
ELLA EXPLAINS
"I am very proud of the way we played today. We came out fighting with focused energy from the very first point and stayed consistent throughout the whole match. We played relentless defense, served tough, and had some tough blocks." – Ella Sandt
 
HAWLEY HARPS
"That was a really good match for us as a team, finally putting it all together and staying consistent. It was a lot of fun out there! And, it was a great end to the last travel trip for the seniors." – Hawley Harrer
 
UP NEXT
Saint Mary's will return to the Bay Area for the final two weeks of the regular season as they travel to Stockton and take on the Pacific Tigers on Friday night at 7:00 pm. The Gaels will then return home for the final three matches of the season, including their Senior Day against BYU on Saturday, November 20.
 
#GaelsRise – Single game tickets are on sale now for the remainder of the 2021 season. Grab your tickets HERE!