PALO ALTO, Calif. — For the first time in Saint Mary's Beach Volleyball history, the Gaels took down a historically tough Pepperdine Waves team. In the first round of the Stanford Invitational, Saint Mary's was able to best the 11^th-ranked Waves with a score of 3-2 to secure their eighth win of the season, and that historic first win over Pepperdine.
 
The morning began with Saint Mary's taking the first two matches in the fours and the twos. Morgan Kendrick and Jennifer "Boo" Laird were consistent in their sets against the Waves fours, and won both sets with scores of 21-16 for their team-best ninth wins of the season. Chandler Cowell and Elena Baka were finishing up shortly thereafter, but they had to go three sets against Pepperdine's twos. Cowell and Baka came back to win the second set 21-17 and then took command against Filippone and Bauer of Pepperdine to win 15-9 to give the Gaels a 2-0 lead.
 
The clinching win on Saturday morning came in the fourth match, as the Gaels fifth-pair snuck by the Waves to wrap it all up. Makenna Joyce and Selbie Christensen have been great as of late for the Gaels, and they were again on Satuday morning, beating Pedersen and Baklenko of Pepperdine 21-14 and 21-19 to send Saint Mary's into a state of elation, wrapping up their first-ever beach win over Pepperdine.
 
In the second match of the day for Saint Mary's, the Gaels came out on the short end of a 4-1 decision to #10 Stanford, the hosts of the weekend in Palo Alto. The Gaels were victorious in the threes, with Jasmin Suarez and Sienna Young picking up their first win of the Invitational by beating Maya Harvey and Maddi Kriz 21-12 and 21-19. Saint Mary's nearly picked up a second win in the final match of the day with the top pairs going at it, but Alexsa "Crash" Parker and Hawley Harrer fell in three sets for the second time on the afternoon, dropping the deciding set 15-13.
 
RESULTS vs. #11 PEPPERDINE
(1) Carly Skjodt/Melanie Paul (PEP) def. Alexsa "Crash" Parker/Hawley Harrer (SMC) 21-11, 19-21, 15-11
(2) Chandler Cowell/Elena Baka (SMC) def. Alexis Filippone/Brooke Bauer (PEP) 19-21, 21-17, 15-9
(3) Simone Priebe/Sutton Mactavish (PEP) def. Jasmin Suarez/Sienna Young (SMC) 21-14, 21-14
(4) Morgan Kendrick/Jennifer "Boo" Laird (SMC) def. Mary Sinclair/Jordan Benoit (PEP) 21-16, 21-16
(5) Makenna Joyce/Selbie Christensen (SMC) def. Gracie Pedersen/Cameron Baklenko (PEP) 21-14, 21-19
 
ORDER FINISH: 4, 2, 3, 5, 1
 
RESULTS vs. #10 STANFORD
(1) Kate Reilly/Charlie Ekstrom (STAN) def. Alexsa "Crash" Parker/Hawley Harrer (SMC) 21-13, 19-21, 15-13
(2) Xolani Hodel/Sunny Villapondo (STAN) def. Chandler Cowell/Elena Baka (SMC) 21-13, 21-17
(3) Jasmin Suarez/Sienna Young (SMC) def. Maya Harvey/Maddi Kriz (STAN) 21-12, 21-19
(4) Amelia Smith/Emmy Sharp (STAN) def. Morgan Kendrick/Jennifer "Boo" Laird (SMC) 21-15, 21-9
(5) Maddie Dailey/Jordan McKinney (STAN) def. Makenna Joyce/Selbie Christensen (SMC) 21-18, 21-11
 
ORDER FINISH: 4, 2, 5, 3, 1
 
UP NEXT
Day two of the Stanford Invitational is set for Sunday, where Saint Mary's will play twice more. The first match is against #12 Cal, and then Saint Mary's will play once more against one of the first three teams they've met in the Invitational. The third-place match is at 2:00 pm and the championship match is scheduled for 4:00 pm.