From L to R: Abby Castillon, Grace Travis, Paola Peralta, Mia Pearson
BVB | Saint Mary’s Adds Four New Recruits, Three for Beach
5/18/2022 3:00:00 PM | Women's Beach Volleyball, Women's Volleyball
MORAGA, Calif. — With summer right around the corner, Saint Mary's Volleyball has been busy adding some fresh faces for the upcoming 2022-23 school year. Four new Gaels have been inked to continue their volleyball careers in Moraga, with three joining the beach team and one heading indoors.
Abby Castillon is the lone addition of this group that will play indoors during the fall, and she comes to the Gaels from Central Catholic High School in Modesto. The 5'11" outside hitter racked up some impressive numbers during her first two years of high school play, totaling over 1,000 kills and over 900 digs, with 91 blocks and 97 aces. All of this led her to a pair of First Team All-League awards in the Valley Oak League, as well as being named the MVP of the Valley Oak League as a freshman. Her last two seasons were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and by an injury, but the talent is there for the former MaxPreps Freshman All-American and CalHi Sports First Team All-State outside hitter to make an immediate impact.
Mia Pearson is the first of three new additions to the beach volleyball squad at Saint Mary's, coming from Henderson, Nevada. The Foothill High School graduate played on the varsity team during her senior season and helped Foothill to a pair of impressive finishes in tournament play. At the Aggies Invitational Tournament, they finished fifth overall, and in the Las Vegas Invitational, they made it to the championship match, finishing second. While with her club team, Vegas United, she has won several awards across her seven seasons with the team, including the bronze medal at the SCVA this year, and a bronze medal at Nationals in April.
Grace Travis makes the long journey to Saint Mary's from her hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she will be graduating from De La Salle High School. She played on the varsity team at De La Salle all four seasons and received all-conference honors all four years, including a trio of First Team awards and three MVP awards. Her teams nearly won the sectional playoff rounds in all three seasons, coming in second place in 2018 and 2021. She was named the captain of the team by her peers, and heads out west to play beach at Saint Mary's.
The final member of this group that will be heading to the sand is Paola Peralta, who transfers to the Gaels from MiraCosta College. After spending two seasons with the Spartans, she established herself as one of the top liberos in the league, racking up 721 digs and 108 aces across 48 matches. She also helped the Spartans beach team finish 8-2 in conference play this season, good for second-best in the PCAC. Peralta has been named to the President's List and Dean's List while at MiraCosta and now joins her Spartan teammate Cameron Martinez on the Gaels.
Abby Castillon is the lone addition of this group that will play indoors during the fall, and she comes to the Gaels from Central Catholic High School in Modesto. The 5'11" outside hitter racked up some impressive numbers during her first two years of high school play, totaling over 1,000 kills and over 900 digs, with 91 blocks and 97 aces. All of this led her to a pair of First Team All-League awards in the Valley Oak League, as well as being named the MVP of the Valley Oak League as a freshman. Her last two seasons were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and by an injury, but the talent is there for the former MaxPreps Freshman All-American and CalHi Sports First Team All-State outside hitter to make an immediate impact.
Mia Pearson is the first of three new additions to the beach volleyball squad at Saint Mary's, coming from Henderson, Nevada. The Foothill High School graduate played on the varsity team during her senior season and helped Foothill to a pair of impressive finishes in tournament play. At the Aggies Invitational Tournament, they finished fifth overall, and in the Las Vegas Invitational, they made it to the championship match, finishing second. While with her club team, Vegas United, she has won several awards across her seven seasons with the team, including the bronze medal at the SCVA this year, and a bronze medal at Nationals in April.
Grace Travis makes the long journey to Saint Mary's from her hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she will be graduating from De La Salle High School. She played on the varsity team at De La Salle all four seasons and received all-conference honors all four years, including a trio of First Team awards and three MVP awards. Her teams nearly won the sectional playoff rounds in all three seasons, coming in second place in 2018 and 2021. She was named the captain of the team by her peers, and heads out west to play beach at Saint Mary's.
The final member of this group that will be heading to the sand is Paola Peralta, who transfers to the Gaels from MiraCosta College. After spending two seasons with the Spartans, she established herself as one of the top liberos in the league, racking up 721 digs and 108 aces across 48 matches. She also helped the Spartans beach team finish 8-2 in conference play this season, good for second-best in the PCAC. Peralta has been named to the President's List and Dean's List while at MiraCosta and now joins her Spartan teammate Cameron Martinez on the Gaels.
#GaelsRise
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