BERKELEY, Calif. — Saint Mary's beach volleyball has a light week ahead, with just one scheduled match taking place against No. 11 Cal on Saturday morning. This will be the seventh ranked matchup of the year for the Gaels, who have had a chance to face off against some of the best teams in the country in the first month of the season.
 
THE DETAILS
Saint Mary's Gaels (6-8, 3-0) at No. 11 Cal Golden Bears (10-3)
Saturday, March 18 at 9:00 am
Clark Kerr Sand Courts – Berkeley, Calif.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Saint Mary's played at home for the first time during the season last weekend, hosting both Utah and UC Davis on Friday afternoon. Both matches saw scores of 3-2, with the Gaels beating Utah and dropping another tight one to the Aggies. In both contests, the clinching decision came in the final pair, with Sadie Shipman and Allie Cataldo securing the win for Saint Mary's over Utah with finals of 19-21, 21-18, and 15-9 to earn the win. It was the second flight that determined the outcome of the match against UC Davis, with the Gaels dropping it in straight sets. Still, when those two teams met one week prior, the Gaels lost 4-1.
 
HEATING UP
Multiple pairs the Gaels are rolling out have been heating up over the last few weeks, but none have seen more success than Hawley Harrer and Daniella Kensinger. A bit of an unlikely pairing, given one is a fifth-year senior and the other is a freshman, but they have been working well. On the season, they own the best record of any Gaels pair at 8-5, and they have won six-straight matches, the longest of the season for SMC. Harrer has been named to the All-WCC team for both beach and indoor and was a preseason All-WCC selection, so her success is not a surprise. The rapid the rise Kensinger to the top flight has been impressive, and the two are forming a formidable pair atop the Gaels order.
 
ABOUT CAL
The Golden Bears are heating up as well after dropping two of their first three matches to start the season. Since that time, they've won nine of their last 10, with their lone loss coming in Hawaii to the ninth-ranked Rainbow Wahine in the finale of the Heineken Queen's Cup. They have several pairs that can present teams with problems, including the pairing of Ainsley Radell and Ashley Delgado at the top. Cal has had the Gaels number in recent years, with eight-straight wins in the local rivalry, but the Gaels have taken at least one point in the last three meetings.