MORAGA, Calif. — Tuesday afternoon was another in a long line of tough tests the Gaels have been facing on the beach courts. Saint Mary's Beach Volleyball hosted ninth-ranked Cal on campus for their first of two meetings this season, and the Gaels once again showed they can hang with anybody. It came down to the wire again, but Cal was able to sneak away with a 3-2 win after taking the final two matches of the afternoon, dropping SMC to 2-4 on the season.
 
Saint Mary's dropped their first match in the fives but came back and looked strong in the fours and threes, where the Gaels held a 2-1 lead over Cal. Morgan Kendrick and Jennifer "Boo" Laird never seemed phased going against Kate Bierly and Maya Gessner of Cal, with smooth wins of 21-12 and 21-11. Jasmin Suarez and Sienna Young had a more difficult path in the threes, overcoming a tight first-set loss 22-20 before taking the next two sets 21-18 and 15-11. With those wins, Saint Mary's seemed in a strong position to secure an upset win.
 
The final two matches of the afternoon, however, swung back towards Cal, including a back-and-forth affair in between both school's top pairs. Hawley Harrer and Alexsa "Crash" Parker team up yet again and looked great in coming back from a first-set loss, defeating Mima Mirkovic and Caroline Schafer 21-17. The deciding third set was a different story, with Cal storming past the Gaels top pair in 15-4 fashion, clinching the win that would give the Gaels their fourth-straight loss with a 3-2 score.
 
RESULTS
(5) Brooke Buchner/Ava Mann (CAL) def. Makenna Joyce/Selbie Christensen (SMC) 21-17, 14-21, 15-8
(6) Katie Smoot/Maddie Micheletti (CAL) def. Madison Baumann/Karmin Brown (SMC) 21-16, 18-21, 15-13 (exhibition)
(4) Morgan Kendrick/Jennifer "Boo" Laird (SMC) def. Kate Bierly/Maya Gessner 21-12, 21-11
(3) Jasmin Suarez/Sienna Young (SMC) def. Grace Paulson/Alexia Inman 20-22, 21-18, 15-11
(2) Jordan Polo/Ainsley Radell (CAL) def. Chandler Cowell/Elena Baka (SMC) 21-12, 21-14
(1) Mima Mirkovic/Caroline Schafer (CAL) def. Hawley Harrer/Alexsa "Crash" Parker (SMC) 17-21, 21-17, 15-4
 
SIENNA SAYS
"Even with dropping the first set, there was not one point throughout the match I didn't know we could win. I am extremely proud of Jasmin's and my ability to stay focused and fight. I am grateful to be on this amazing team. I know we can beat good teams like Cal and I cannot wait until the next time we get to take on the Bears." – Sienna Young
 
UP NEXT
Saint Mary's will head to the coast this weekend as they take part in the annual WCC Midseason Invitational on Thursday and Friday. SMC will take on four WCC teams over two days, beginning on Thursday with dates against San Francisco and Santa Clara. The Gaels will wrap up the mini-tournament with two more matches on Friday against Pacific and #6 LMU.