MORAGA, Calif. — The 2024 beach volleyball season is nearly upon us, with the Gaels opening up their year on Saturday, taking on Cal and Santa Clara at Berkeley. AT 15-19 a season ago, the Gaels placed fourth in WCC.
Hawley Harrer earned first team All-Conference honors, while
Karmin Brown and
Daniella Kensinger both earned second team honors. Both Harrer and Brown return for the 2024 campaign.
The Gaels were picked to finish in fourth place once again in the WCC in the preseason Coaches Poll, with Hawley Harrer occupying the Gaels only spot on the WCC preseason all-conference team. Defending champions LMU were picked to win the conference, with Pepperdine picked to finish in second, and Santa Clara just in front of the Gaels at third.
About her squad, second year Head Coach Janice Harrer noted, "We will be looking to our Seniors and Grads to provide the poise and leadership on and off the court. We have a great blend of youth and maturity on our roster, which should balance our entry into competition. As we go out and leave it all on the court, we will return with more that we need to take on the future! We are ready to play, and I want our girls to embrace and enjoy the journey without being anxious about the outcome. We have put in the work, now we need to get out there and compete!"
There is great parity within the Gael lineup, with multiple pairs vying for the number one spot. Returning first team All-WCC graduate student Hawley Harrer will be paired with sophomore Hannah Couch to open the season. Harrer paired with Daniela Kensinger a year ago in the one spot for the Gaels, but, with Kensinger transferring to Arizona State, Couch will now join Harrer on the sand after appearing in 33 matches, primarily in the three spot last season. Fellow returning All-WCC honoree Karmin Brown, who played with Couch for most of last season, will have a new freshman mate on the beach, as she will play with AJ Slojkowski. Slojkowski came to Moraga from nearby El Dorado Hills, and boasts an impressive resume on the hard court, playing both basketball and indoor volleyball, as well as on the sand, where she won the 2022 Santa Cruz Juniors One Star Qualifier. Junior Allie Cataldo and sophomore Angie Bour bring experience to the sand, and will play together for the first time in their collegiate careers. Cataldo played in the four spot a season ago, while Bour played in the five spot as a freshman. Rounding out the group of notable pairings is the grouping of returner Paola Peralta and freshman Nya Crump. Peralta appeared in every match for the Gaels last season, appearing in each of the top four spots. Meanwhile, Crump is a gifted freshman out of Seattle, who already has a big collegiate win under her belt, taking home first place in the Division A Silver bracket of the Huntington Beach Relentless Collegiate Showdown this Fall while playing with Chloe Swanson. Other names to watch for this season include Sadie Shipman (Jr., Appeared in every match last season), Sedona Sherman (Gr., Univ. of the Pacific transfer), Cameron Martinez (Jr., played eight matches in the #5 spot last year), and Grace Travis (So., made one appearance in the #1 spot last year).
The Gaels season will open this weekend in Berkeley, as they will take on host Cal and Santa Clara in the three team event. Cal finished last season ranked 11th in the country, and enter this season ranked eighth in the preseason polls. The Gaels took on the Golden Bears three times last season, dropping all three meetings. Hawley Harrer did pick up a signature win against the Golden Bears alongside Daniela Kensinger against the number one pairing of Sierra Caffo and Liz Waters Leiga, who would both go on to be named AVCA All-Americans. The Gaels saw the Broncos twice last season, splitting a pair of narrow 3-2 decisions. In the Gaels victory over Santa Clara, the pairs of Harrer/Kensigner, Brown/Couch and Peralta/Cataldo all picked up victories, so there will be plenty of returning experience against the Broncos.
The Gaels first match of the season will be against the Golden Bears at 9 AM on Saturday, February 24, followed by their matchup with the Broncos at 12:30 PM.
#GaelsRise
