Photo by: SMC Athletics / Piper Westrom
VB | Gaels Release 2024 Fall Schedule
6/11/2024 2:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
MORAGA, Calif. — The Saint Mary's Volleyball program is riding high following the 2023 season. The Gaels finished four games above 0.500 at 16-12, their best record since the 2018 season. With a pair of six game winning streaks, one during the non-conference portion of the schedule and one during conference play, SMC certainly was a momentous team a season ago. With their 2024 roster comprised of eight returners and eight newcomers, Head Coach Rob Browning's squad will look to continue the program's resurgence with a schedule that will feature some strong competition.
"2024 will be a historic season for the WCC with Oregon State and Washington State in the mix. We welcome both and are looking forward to a challenging non-conference and WCC season," noted Head Coach Rob Browning, "The West Coast Conference is very tough in women's volleyball and we wouldn't have it any other way. We will be ready when the season starts in August."
The toughest stretch of non-conference play for the Gaels will take place in their first three contests. The season will open on August 30 and 31 at the Mustang Invitational in San Luis Obispo, as the Gaels will take on SEC powerhouse Arkansas to open the season, before taking on host Cal Poly in their second match of the year. The Arkansas Razorback are coming off of a trip to the NCAA Quarterfinals after finishing with a 28-6 record. The team returns four of their seven starters, including first team All-SEC setter Hannah Hogue. Another 20+ win team in 2023, Cal Poly went 21-11 last year, and returns six of seven starters. The Gaels will look to avenge last season's loss to the Mustangs, who reverse swept them in the 2023 rendition of the Mustang Invitational. Saint Mary's third straight 20+ win opponent from last year will be in their home opener on September 3, as they play host to the Sacramento State Hornets. The 2023 Big Sky regular season champs made it to the NIVC Super 16 a year ago, but did fall in four to the Gaels in Sacramento last year.
The non-conference schedule eases up a bit after those first three matchups. The Gaels will play back to back contests vs UC Davis, in Davis on September 6 and at home on September 7. On September 10, the Gaels will host the Cal Bears after falling to their fellow East Bay foe in four in Berkeley a season ago. Between September 13 and 14, Cal State Fullerton will host a four team tournament, with the Gaels taking on Oral Roberts and Alabama A&M on the 13th and the host Titans on the 14th. The final two non-conference home matches will feature SMC hosting Air Force on September 19 and Seattle on September 20. The Gaels fell in four to Air Force in last season's Santa Clara Mission Classic, while the matchup with Seattle will offer a sneak peak at the Gaels future WCC foe, as the Redhawks will be joining the WCC in 2025. Non-conference play will close out in Silicon Valley on September 21 as the Gaels hope to return the favor after the San Jose State Spartans defeated the Gaels in Moraga last year.
The WCC will look a little different this season, with the addition of associate members Washington State and Oregon State. Washington State finished at 26-8 last season, placed third in the Pac12, and made it to the third round of the NCAA Tournament, while Oregon State went 11-19 and finished 10th in the Pac12. With the two additional teams, each WCC school will play eight of their 10 foes twice, and two just once. The Gaels will only see Oregon State and Pacific once this season. Pepperdine won the WCC in 2023 with a 15-1 conference record, followed by LMU (13-3) and San Diego (12-4). SMC finished in fourth at 10-6, going 10-0 against the teams that finished behind them (Pacific, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Portland and Gonzaga) and 0-6 against the teams that finished in front of them.
WCC play starts September 26 for the Gaels, as they head north to Portland, but will return home for the conference home opener against LMU on September 28. On October 3, the Gaels will head across the Bay Bridge to take on San Francisco, but then will be off for seven days before hosting Gonzaga and Washington State on October 10 and 12 respectively. The longest conference roadtrip of the season will be between October 17 and 24, when they first head south to take on Pepperdine (10/17) and LMU (10/19), before making the trek to Corvallis to take on Oregon State (10/24). That will be followed up by a three game WCC homestand against San Diego (10/26), San Francisco (10/31) and Santa Clara (11/2). The Gaels will make their final out of state trip of the regular season on November 7 through 8, taking on Gonzaga and Washington State. A week off, and then the Gaels will host Pacific (11/16) and Pepperdine (11/21) before alternating away, home, away to close out the season with Santa Clara (11/23), Portland (11/27, Senior Night) and San Diego (11/30).
The schedule provides an excellent challenge for the Gaels, a rather young squad, to mature very early on in non-conference play, and be ready to challenge for a WCC title once conference play rolls around.
#GaelsRise
"2024 will be a historic season for the WCC with Oregon State and Washington State in the mix. We welcome both and are looking forward to a challenging non-conference and WCC season," noted Head Coach Rob Browning, "The West Coast Conference is very tough in women's volleyball and we wouldn't have it any other way. We will be ready when the season starts in August."
The toughest stretch of non-conference play for the Gaels will take place in their first three contests. The season will open on August 30 and 31 at the Mustang Invitational in San Luis Obispo, as the Gaels will take on SEC powerhouse Arkansas to open the season, before taking on host Cal Poly in their second match of the year. The Arkansas Razorback are coming off of a trip to the NCAA Quarterfinals after finishing with a 28-6 record. The team returns four of their seven starters, including first team All-SEC setter Hannah Hogue. Another 20+ win team in 2023, Cal Poly went 21-11 last year, and returns six of seven starters. The Gaels will look to avenge last season's loss to the Mustangs, who reverse swept them in the 2023 rendition of the Mustang Invitational. Saint Mary's third straight 20+ win opponent from last year will be in their home opener on September 3, as they play host to the Sacramento State Hornets. The 2023 Big Sky regular season champs made it to the NIVC Super 16 a year ago, but did fall in four to the Gaels in Sacramento last year.
The non-conference schedule eases up a bit after those first three matchups. The Gaels will play back to back contests vs UC Davis, in Davis on September 6 and at home on September 7. On September 10, the Gaels will host the Cal Bears after falling to their fellow East Bay foe in four in Berkeley a season ago. Between September 13 and 14, Cal State Fullerton will host a four team tournament, with the Gaels taking on Oral Roberts and Alabama A&M on the 13th and the host Titans on the 14th. The final two non-conference home matches will feature SMC hosting Air Force on September 19 and Seattle on September 20. The Gaels fell in four to Air Force in last season's Santa Clara Mission Classic, while the matchup with Seattle will offer a sneak peak at the Gaels future WCC foe, as the Redhawks will be joining the WCC in 2025. Non-conference play will close out in Silicon Valley on September 21 as the Gaels hope to return the favor after the San Jose State Spartans defeated the Gaels in Moraga last year.
The WCC will look a little different this season, with the addition of associate members Washington State and Oregon State. Washington State finished at 26-8 last season, placed third in the Pac12, and made it to the third round of the NCAA Tournament, while Oregon State went 11-19 and finished 10th in the Pac12. With the two additional teams, each WCC school will play eight of their 10 foes twice, and two just once. The Gaels will only see Oregon State and Pacific once this season. Pepperdine won the WCC in 2023 with a 15-1 conference record, followed by LMU (13-3) and San Diego (12-4). SMC finished in fourth at 10-6, going 10-0 against the teams that finished behind them (Pacific, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Portland and Gonzaga) and 0-6 against the teams that finished in front of them.
WCC play starts September 26 for the Gaels, as they head north to Portland, but will return home for the conference home opener against LMU on September 28. On October 3, the Gaels will head across the Bay Bridge to take on San Francisco, but then will be off for seven days before hosting Gonzaga and Washington State on October 10 and 12 respectively. The longest conference roadtrip of the season will be between October 17 and 24, when they first head south to take on Pepperdine (10/17) and LMU (10/19), before making the trek to Corvallis to take on Oregon State (10/24). That will be followed up by a three game WCC homestand against San Diego (10/26), San Francisco (10/31) and Santa Clara (11/2). The Gaels will make their final out of state trip of the regular season on November 7 through 8, taking on Gonzaga and Washington State. A week off, and then the Gaels will host Pacific (11/16) and Pepperdine (11/21) before alternating away, home, away to close out the season with Santa Clara (11/23), Portland (11/27, Senior Night) and San Diego (11/30).
The schedule provides an excellent challenge for the Gaels, a rather young squad, to mature very early on in non-conference play, and be ready to challenge for a WCC title once conference play rolls around.
#GaelsRise
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