MORAGA, Calif. — Following their first two WCC wins of the year at San Francisco and Santa Clara, Saint Mary's returns to Moraga with momentum in hand, and will welcome Gonzaga and Portland to UCU Pavilion this week. 

After showing glimpses of greatness over a difficult nine game stretch, the Gaels seemed to really put all of the pieces together against the Dons and the Broncos. After dropping their first set of the week in San Francisco, the Gaels rattled off six straight victories for the sweep of their WCC Bay Area foes on the road, as they demonstrated the same brand of dominant volleyball that was on display in their first six matches of the year. 

THE DETAILS
Saint Mary's Gaels vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs
Thursday, October 12 at 7:00 PM
UCU Pavilion - Moraga, Calif. 
Watch | Live Stats

Saint Mary's Gaels vs. Portland Pilots
Saturday, October 14 at 1:00 PM
UCU Pavilion - Moraga, Calif.
Watch | Live Stats 

STARTING A NEW STREAK
The Gaels opened the season on a 6-0 run before dropping their next nine consecutive contests. Since that point, the Gaels bested both of their Bay Area rivals, the San Francisco Dons and Santa Clara Broncos, to kickstart a new winning streak. Now, Saint Mary's will look to extend that streak and pull back above 0.500 if they can defeat both Gonzaga and Portland this week. The Gaels were a perfect 4-0 against the Bulldogs and Pilots a season ago, and are 16-4 against the two schools combined dating back to 2018. 

STRONG DOES IT AGAIN
After a dominant week at the net, middle blocker Kjersti Strong was honored as the WCC Player Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this year, marking her third WCC weekly honor of the season. Prior to this year, no Gael had won a WCC weekly award more than once in a single season. Strong recorded 18 blocks against USF and Santa Clara, leading the Gaels to a 2-0 weekend. 

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
It has been a difficult start to the 2023 campaign for Gonzaga, who currently sits at 3-13 on the year and 0-5 in WCC play. In just her second season at the helm, Head Coach Katie Wilson is still in the midst of the rebuilding process in Spokane, as she continues to quest for the Bulldogs first winning season since 2016. Senior Juliette Russell has been a bright spot for the team this season, as the middle blocker ranks second on the team in kills, while leading the Bulldogs in blocks. The Gaels lead the All-Time series against the Bulldogs, 41-31, including wins in each of their last three meetings. 

ABOUT THE PILOTS
After winning their WCC opener at Santa Clara, the Pilots have dropped their last four contests, moving their record to 6-11 and 1-4 in conference tilts. Former Gael great Megan Burton is in her fourth year as the Pilots' Head Coach, and has led her team to an improved season in each of her first three seasons. Outside hitter Maui Robbins has more than doubled the next closest hitter for the Portland kills lead with 217, while middle blocker Una Ratkovic leads the WCC with 32 service aces. The Pilots are tied for the lead in the WCC with 127 total team aces. The Gaels are riding a 10 game unbeaten streak against Portland, and lead the all-time series 46-26.  

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