SANTA MONICA, Calif. — It was going to be an uphill climb for Saint Mary's beach volleyball to make it to the West Coast Conference championship match. They needed to win twice on Friday to reach that stage, and their first opponent came bright and early in the morning against Santa Clara. Despite playing three matches one day ago, the Broncos came out energized and ready to strike, and they did just that, beating the Gaels 3-2 to upset the third-seed in the bracket and move onto the semifinals. With the loss, Saint Mary's ends the season with a 15-19 record.
 
After beating Santa Clara 3-2 in the final week of the regular season, the Broncos flipped the script on Saint Mary's right out of the chute. Four of the five pairs lost the opening set, and by the time the first three pairs had gone final, the Broncos had already clinched a team victory.
 
The first result to go final was in the threes, where Karmin Brown and Hannah Couch lost 21-13 and 21-17. In the fives, Angie Bour and Hannah Glick fell 21-19 and 21-15, which put the pressure on the twos to avoid an early decision. Unfortunately, Genevieve Bane and Sadie Shipman lost 21-17 and 21-14, which gave the Broncos the win and a spot in the semifinals.
 
After the decision was final, Allie Cataldo and Paola Peralta were on their way to a thrilling win. Their first set win over the Broncos four pair was impressive, battling to a lengthy 27-25 victory. Their second set was much quicker, taking care of business 21-14 to get a point for the Gaels. Hawley Harrer and Daniella Kensinger were also battling in their match, where they won the second set 21-16 before the third set was aborted, giving them a win.
 
RESULTS
(3) Casey Campbell/Katie Kishton (SCU) def. Karmin Brown/Hannah Couch (SMC) 21-13, 21-17
(5) Hailey Benesz/Alexie Epstein (SCU) def. Angie Bour/Hannah Glick (SMC) 21-19, 21-15
(2) Ella Duffner/Elena Radeff (SCU) def. Genevieve Bane/Sadie Shipman (SMC) 21-17, 21-14
(1) Hawley Harrer/Daniella Kensinger (SMC) def. Nicole Robinson/Julia Sangiacomo (SCU) 16-21, 21-16, forfeit
(4) Allie Cataldo/Paola Peralta (SMC) def. Jordan Bennett/Claire Doud (SCU) 27-25, 21-14
 
UP NEXT
With the season over, the Gaels will now wait for May 2, which is when the West Coast Conference will announce its annual postseason awards. It is expected that the Gaels will have multiple postseason honors, led by Hawley Harrer and Daniella Kensinger.