MORAGA, Calif. — With the Saint Mary's Beach Volleyball roster expanding with beach-only players, two new faces will be joining the Gaels for the upcoming 2022-23 season. Sadie Shipman and Sara Incitti will head to Moraga and join nine other new beach-only players, putting the current number of beach volleyball student-athletes at 22, the largest the roster has ever been.
 
Shipman transfers to the Gaels after spending her first two collegiate seasons at Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches. Shipman went 20-24 over her two years Lumberjacks, going 10-12 both seasons. She spent time primarily in the fours and fives, and last season, she went 8-8 in the fives, playing with three different partners.  Shipman was a standout in the classroom while at Stephen F. Austin, holding the highest spring sport GPA as a freshman and sophomore. She graduated from McNeil High School in Austin, Texas, and was named All-Academic during both of her varsity seasons.
 
She chose Saint Mary's over a host of other schools, including WCC-rival Portland, because "Saint Mary's has such a beautiful atmosphere inside and out and a successful volleyball team that I felt would be my perfect fit."
 
"Sadie brings two years of NCAA DI experience with her from her time at SFA, where she worked her way up the lineup from the 5s pair to the 2s," coach Gary Hodge explained. "During this time, she faced off against numerous top ten programs including LSU and TCU. This experience, paired with her unexampled work ethic and competitive drive, make it easy to see why we feel so fortunate to have her here in Moraga. I expect her to have an immediate impact, and am so excited to see how much she elevates our whole team."
 
Incitti is the second foreign-born Gael to join for the upcoming season, joining Paola Peralta (Mexico). Hailing from Essex in Ontario, Canada, Incitti stands at 6'1" and graduated from Essex District High School this year. She won the Most Valuable Player award for her team during her senior season, and has been selected as an All-Star. She started picking up accolades very early in her high school career, being named All-OFSAA as a freshman setter on the varsity team.
 
"From my first call with Coach Albert (Ahedo), I loved the family environment I felt at Saint Mary's," recalled Incitti. "The deal was sealed when I visited campus, I felt so at home and knew it was right for me."
 
"We knew that Sarah was perfect for our program from our first conversation with her," coach Hodge said. "She exudes a quiet confidence that those around her can feel. I have no doubt that she will become the type of leader, for us, that keeps everyone steady and focused. Her time with the Team Ontario beach program has helped her develop a skillset that will serve her well at the NCAA level, and I have no doubt that she will become a feared blocker in the WCC."