SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The Saint Mary's Volleyball season has come to an end, as the Gaels (10-17, 6-12 WCC) fought hard, but were ultimately swept by San Diego (19-9, 14-4 WCC) in the season finale. While the final score sat at 3-0, it was not indicative to how close the Gaels were in this one, forcing bonus volleyball in the first set before falling 26-24, and clawing back from a nine point deficit in set two before falling 25-22. In set three, the Gaels seemed to run out of gas, as the Toreros polished off the sweep 25-15.
Set one went down to the wire in this one. The Gaels fell into an early 7-4 deficit but knotted things up at 8 apiece, as Evelyn Hendrix tallied an early kill and a block in the Gaels 4-1 run. Saint Mary's took their first lead at 11-10, and extended out to 14-10, but the Toreros remained locked in, and played all the way to a 24 all tie. San Diego polished off the final two points to take the tight first set. Genevieve Bane went for five kill in the first set for the Gaels, while Katherine Gee and Hailee Garcia tallied six digs.
The Toreros never trailed in set two, but after taking a nine point lead at 17-9, the Gaels managed to storm back and make things interesting. Outscoring the Toreros, 13-8 down the stretch, the Toreros were finally able to shut down the surging Gaels, taking set two 25-22. Genevieve Bane totalled four kills in the comeback effort, while Hailee Garcia and Hannah Taylor each tallied three. Taylor's third kill was the 500th of her Gael career.
The Gaels built a 5-3 lead early in set three, but the Toreros would take eight of the next nine points and would put the game in cruise control, winning the final set 25-15. Genevieve Bane had her best set with seven kills, but it wasn't enough as the Gaels fell in sweep fashion.
Genevieve Bane made it nine straight double-digit kill matches, with 16 today in the three setter. Hailee Garica was all over the court, with a career-high five kills on eight attempts, 23 assists and 10 digs for her seventh double-double of the season. Katherine Gee led the way defensively for the Gaels with 11 digs to go along with a team-best two aces. Madi Zorn was the third Gael to get to double-digit digs with 10, while at the net, Evelyn Hendrix had a career-high five blocks.
BANE, EFFICIENT AS EVER
Genevieve Bane tallied 16 kills in just three sets today, averaging 5.3 per set. It was her second most kills in a three set match this season, after she tallied 17 against Seattle earlier this season. It was her ninth consecutive double-digit kill match, making it the longest streak of double-digit kill matches since Natalie Loos went for nine straight in 2014.
GARCIA DOES IT ALL
Hailee Garcia not only was excellent as ever at the set position, with 23 assists, but also added 10 digs and a career-high five kills with no errors and two blocks. Garcia logged her seventh double-double of the season and her first since October 12 vs Washington State. Garcia was called upon over the last two matches to play in a five one rotation and answered the bell emphatically.
HENDRIX, A RISING STAR
In her second collegiate start, freshman Evelyn Hendrix continues to grow before Gaels fans eyes. Hendrix went for two kills without an error on seven swings, while tallying a career-best five blocks. The freshman had recorded just one stat, a solo block vs Gonzaga, throughout her entire career coming into this week, but due to injuries started in the final week of the season, going for five kills on 11 swings, just one error, and six more blocks.
SEASON IN REVIEW
This brings an end to a 2024 season that saw a ton of growth for a young Gaels team. Saint Mary's finished 10-17, but went 5-4 over the final month of the season after starting 5-13. Genevieve Bane had her best season in what's been an illustrious career, going for 344 kills and 32 aces to lead the Gaels. Hailee Garcia led the Gaels with 568 assists, while defensively, Abby Castillon tallied 249 digs and Tessa Schouten went for 81 blocks.
#GaelsRise
