MORAGA, Calif. — The final three games of the 2022 regular season have arrived for Saint Mary's Volleyball, and they'll be spending all three inside University Credit Union Pavilion. The closing home stand of the season begins on Thursday night when the Gaels host Gonzaga, and then welcome in Portland on Saturday afternoon for Senior Day, part of Homecoming 2022 festivities at Saint Mary's College.
 
THE DETAILS
Saint Mary's Gaels (7-16, 4-11) vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs (6-19, 2-13)
Thursday, November 17 at 7:00 pm
University Credit Union Pavilion – Moraga, Calif.
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Saint Mary's Gaels vs. Portland Pilots (10-16, 3-12)
Saturday, November 19 at 12:00 pm
University Credit Union Pavilion – Moraga, Calif.
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LAST TIME OUT
The Gaels had their most difficult week of the schedule last week when they hit the road and played a pair of ranked teams. SMC had to face No. 2 San Diego and No. 18 BYU away from home, and suffered three-set losses in both matches. Still, the Gaels were much improved in their match against BYU, nearly taking a set from the Cougars in a thrilling, 30-28 second set. With the loss in Provo, it marked the final time that SMC and BYU played as WCC rivals, with BYU set to leave the WCC following the end of this year.
 
GOING OUT WITH A BANE
For the second match in a row, Bane was the leading attacker for the Gaels, and this time she was able to break through to new heights. Bane had 15 kills on the afternoon, which sets a new personal best for the redshirt freshman outside hitter. She had four kills in the first set and then was incredible in the second set, where she racked up eight kills. Her confidence is growing by the match, and she is building a lot of momentum heading into her second season on the court.
 
HOMECOMING and SENIOR DAY
Saturday marks Saint Mary's Homecoming 2022, a day filled with events all around campus. The official website of homecoming is https://www.stmarys-ca.edu/homecoming.
 
The Gaels will also be honoring the lone senior on this year's volleyball roster, Hawley Harrer. A transfer from UCLA, Harrer has been vital to the team's success both indoor and on the beach courts over the last three seasons. She actively leads the team in kills and ranks inside the top-15 in the WCC in both kills and kills per set.
 
ABOUT GONZAGA
The 2022 season has gone about as expected by many in the WCC for the Zags, as they've struggled to keep up with the rest of the conference. They do have two wins in conference play, with their most recent one coming on November 5 against Portland, and one previous upset win over Pepperdine. They have the lowest hitting percentage in the West Coast Conference at just .159, and they are letting opponents hit .260 against them for the season, the biggest difference between the two numbers in the WCC. Zoe Thiros is their best hitter, with 296 kills on the year, and she also paces Gonzaga with 33 aces.
 
ABOUT PORTLAND
The Pilots are one of those teams that have the ability to beat just about anybody in the conference, but have struggled to close matches. They've already snagged upset wins this year against Pacific and San Francisco, and have gone this distance against others like Loyola Marymount and Santa Clara. Still, Portland is just 3-12 in conference play, and it comes down to their consistency. They hit .200 on the year, but have allowed opponents to hit .239 against them, which is a bit high. Jayde Harris is one of the best in the conference at 353 kills, 145 digs, 34 blocks, and 31 aces.