PROVO, Utah — Rounding out their final match on the road for the weekend, Saint Mary's Volleyball took on #11 BYU on Saturay afternoon inside the Smith Fieldhouse. The crowd was as big as any SMC has seen this season, and it energized both teams. Saint Mary's played better than they did on Thursday, but ultimately still fell in a three-set sweep, with finals of 25-18, 25-17, and 25-18. The Gaels will head home with a record of 6-5 (0-2) while BYU ups their mark to 12-1 (2-0).
 
UP FRONT
The Gaels saw a lot of energy in the early portion of the match from a pair of players spending a lot of time up at the front of the net. Kristen Erland and Selbie Christensen were the best players on the floor for SMC in the first set, with each of them recording four kills. Only one other Gael had a kill in the first set (Chandler Cowell). Both Erland and Christensen were efficient as well – Erland hit 0.571, and Christensen swung at a 0.667 clip. They remained strong throughout the match, with Erland tying Cowell for the team lead with seven kills, while Christensen finished with six.
 
IMPROVEMENTS
Despite a second set that remained close and competitive against #25 San Diego on Thursday night, the Gaels did not have their best stuff. They looked like a much-improved team against the Cougars on Saturday, despite the result. The Gaels improved their defense in a big way, making some tough digs on fierce attacks from the Cougars. Ella Sandt led the way for SMC in digs with 10, and was also the team's leader with 14 assists. Saint Mary's also forced BYU into several mistakes, as they were sloppy from the service line with nine errors, and the Gaels were even with BYU in blocks through the first two sets.
 
OUT ON THE RUN
Runs defined the third set between the two teams, and the Gaels were the ones to get the party started. It was their best opening to a set all evening, as they rattled off six-straight points against the Cougars. Elena Baka was serving for SMC and she had an ace, with several other Gaels chipping in on the attack. Then, BYU came right back with seven-straight of their own to take the lead. At that point, both sides began trading points, with nobody taking a lead larger than two points until BYU pulled ahead with a 17-14 lead. BYU held on late and closed out the set, despite SMC scoring their most points in a set all afternoon (18).
 
UP NEXT
The Gaels have a busy second week of WCC play ahead, as they return home to the Bay Area. SMC will host Santa Clara in a rare-Tuesday match inside University Credit Union Pavilion, with first serve scheduled for 7:00 pm. The next day, the Gaels will hit the road again for their second out-of-state road trip in as many weekends, as they will fly to Gonzaga for Thursday's match, and then Portland on Saturday.
 
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