Thursday, November 6
Moraga, CA
6:30 PM
Saint Mary's College of California
8-14,6-5WCC
2
vs
3
Oregon State
15-7,9-3WCC
1
2
3
4
5
F
Oregon St.
18
22
25
25
20
3
Saint Mary's (CA)
25
25
16
17
18
2
Miley Thunstrom (22) and Alayna Pearson (20) recorded 16 and 17 digs respectively
Photo by: Kellen Steplight/SMC Athletics
VB | Gaels Fall in Five Set Defensive War of Attrition to Oregon State
11/6/2025 11:02:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
MORAGA, Calif. — Entering tonight's match, many followers of West Coast Conference volleyball would've expected a high flying offensive showdown between the Saint Mary's Gaels (8-14, 6-5 WCC) and the Oregon State Beavers (15-7, 9-3 WCC), but it was the defense, in fact, that told the story, as neither side hit over 0.200, and both recorded season high marks in dig totals. The Gaels took a commanding two set lead in this one, but the Beavs came storming back to force a fifth. While the fifth would need extra points to be decided, ultimately, it was Oregon State who polished off the season sweep of the Gaels by a narrow 20-18 margin.
The Gaels threw the opening haymaker in this one, exploding for 18 kills on 52 swings and just two errors in the first set, never trailing en route to a 25-18 statement set one victory. Miley Thunstrom became the Gaels most frequented hitter with no Mya Allen available, and set the tone with five kills in the first frame, while Genevieve Bane and Abby Castillon each chipped in four. Defensively, the Gaels had an astonishing 25 digs as a team in the first set, with libero Alayna Pearson responsible for nine of those.
Oregon State was able to regroup in the second set, taking their first lead of the match at 2-1, but Saint Mary's continued to hang tough with the Beavers. After the two teams found themselves level at five all, Oregon State went on a 6-2 run to extend their lead out to four, prompting a Gael timeout. Saint Mary's flipped the script from that point, going on a 7-3 run of their own, featuring a pair of Tessa Schouten blocks to level things off at 14. Neither team would lead by more than one until, knotted up at 20, the Gaels would throw the finishing blow of the frame, a 5-2 run capped with a Tessa Schouten kill to take a commanding 2-0 lead. In total, Schouten finished the set with four kills on five swings and three blocks, while Ivona Lazovic added eight assists and five digs in the momentous come from behind set two win.
After hitting 0.218 in the first two sets, and out-killing the Beavs 31-21, the Gaels would struggle to find their offensive footing for the remainder of the match, as they hit just -0.022 for the final three frames, and saw Oregon State hold a +22 kills advantage. Oregon State led set three wire-to-wire, with the Gaels within one just twice in the set, at 0-1 and 1-2. Genevieve Bane accounted for three of the Gaels seven kills in the set, a set taken by the Beavers 25-16.
Saint Mary's was able to push back early in set four, taking an early 8-7 lead, but the Beavers closed out the frame on an 18-9 run, forcing a decisive fifth. The Gaels recorded just five kills in the fourth set, all from five different plays. Anaya Thrower got her hands on three blocks, as the defensive effort at the net forced six Beaver errors, helping the Gaels keep things closer than expected in a five kills set.
While set five in volleyball is an abridged version of the other, needing just 15 points to win, the Gaels and Beavers locked in a marathon final frame that featured 15 ties and nine lead changes. Saint Mary's opened up with three straight points before Oregon State responded with three of their own, and would eventually take their first lead at 6-5. Back-and-forth these two combatants battled, trading side-outs, until the Gaels found themselves serving for the match at 14-13. A kill from Oregon State would force bonus volleyball, but Saint Mary's would find themselves serving for the match three more times at 15-14, 17-16 and 18-17, but were never able to put the Beavers away. At 19-18, a Gael attack error would end the match in favor of Oregon State, staving off the red-hot Gaels and ending their six game win streak. Genevieve Bane was set just four times in the final frame, but converted three of those into kills, as the Gaels top attacker in the final stanza.
Bane finished the evening with a team-high 14 kills. Miley Thunstrom and Abby Castillon both joined Bane in double-digit kills land, with 10 each. Setters Ivona Lazovic and Madi Zorn were both strong as distributors and from the service line, with 26 and 16 assists respectively, while each tallying and pair of aces. Alayna Pearson led the defensive effort with 17 digs, while Lazovic and Thunstrom each totalled 16. At the net, Anaya Thrower went for seven total blocks, while Tessa Schouten had six. The 79 digs as a team were a new season-high for the Gaels, both by total and per set (15.8).
SHARING THE WEALTH, DEFENSIVE EDITION
The Gaels surpassed the 70 dig mark for just the second time this season, and averaged more than 15 per set for the first time this year. The 79 digs tonight were the most by an SMC squad since 2022, when they tallied 85 in a five set win over Gonzaga. While the team number was high, the total distribution of digs was very well balanced, as nine of the 11 players who touched the floor tonight tallied at least three digs, and seven tallied at least five. While libero Alayna Pearson led the way with 17, both Ivona Lazovic and Miley Thunstrom finished just behind her with a career-high tallies of 16 each, as both freshmen recorded double-doubles for the match The defense was also strong at the net, with the Gaels reaching double-digit blocks for the sixth time in the last seven matches. Of the 13 total blocks, Anaya Thrower got her hands on seven, Tessa Schouten on six, Gracie Vohs on four and Miley Thunstrom on three, while three other Gaels had at least one. This all around defensive effort helped the Gaels hold Oregon State below 0.200 hitting for just the third time in conference play, with the other two coming against standouts Pepperdine and Washington State.
SHARING THE WEALTH, OFFENSIVE EDITION
With no Mya Allen, the Gaels went to a well balanced offensive attack, as setter Ivona Lazovic and Madi Zorn gave five different players at least 20 swings. Genevieve Bane turned 33 swings into a team-best 14 kills, playing just front row as an opposite. Starting full rotation outside hitters Miley Thunstrom and Abby Castillon turned 46 and 45 swings respectively into 10 kills each. Sophomore middle blocker Tessa Schouten was also well involved in the attack tonight, with 20 swings and a career-high matching eight kills.
COACHES CORNER
UP NEXT
The Gaels head south to San Diego, looking to hand the Toreros their first WCC loss of the season. First serve is set for noon on Saturday, November 8.
DON'T MISS OUT ON HOME VOLLEYBALL ACTION. TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE HERE.
#GaelsRise
The Gaels threw the opening haymaker in this one, exploding for 18 kills on 52 swings and just two errors in the first set, never trailing en route to a 25-18 statement set one victory. Miley Thunstrom became the Gaels most frequented hitter with no Mya Allen available, and set the tone with five kills in the first frame, while Genevieve Bane and Abby Castillon each chipped in four. Defensively, the Gaels had an astonishing 25 digs as a team in the first set, with libero Alayna Pearson responsible for nine of those.
The Gaels strike first courtesy of a Genevieve Bane kill 👏#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/hbL1iK0Kli
— Saint Mary's Volleyball (@SMC_Volleyball) November 7, 2025
S1 | SMC 16 - OSU 8
— Saint Mary's Volleyball (@SMC_Volleyball) November 7, 2025
Abby Castillon adds a kill to her stat sheet as SMC continues to dominate Set 1!#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/XxfBXkefPb
E1 | SMC 25 - OSU 18
— Saint Mary's Volleyball (@SMC_Volleyball) November 7, 2025
The Gaels got off to a hot start and never looked back, taking the Set 1 win over Oregon State!
Genevieve Bane continues to light it up, check it out ⬇️#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/C4IfmaotLa
Oregon State was able to regroup in the second set, taking their first lead of the match at 2-1, but Saint Mary's continued to hang tough with the Beavers. After the two teams found themselves level at five all, Oregon State went on a 6-2 run to extend their lead out to four, prompting a Gael timeout. Saint Mary's flipped the script from that point, going on a 7-3 run of their own, featuring a pair of Tessa Schouten blocks to level things off at 14. Neither team would lead by more than one until, knotted up at 20, the Gaels would throw the finishing blow of the frame, a 5-2 run capped with a Tessa Schouten kill to take a commanding 2-0 lead. In total, Schouten finished the set with four kills on five swings and three blocks, while Ivona Lazovic added eight assists and five digs in the momentous come from behind set two win.
Welcome to the Gael Block Party 😤#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/M1MRbsvtpC
— Saint Mary's Volleyball (@SMC_Volleyball) November 7, 2025
Tessa Schouten showing off the quick reflexes ⚡️#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/Gh7PQVqwBx
— Saint Mary's Volleyball (@SMC_Volleyball) November 7, 2025
E2 | SMC 25 - OSU 22
— Saint Mary's Volleyball (@SMC_Volleyball) November 7, 2025
Make that two in a row for Saint Mary's‼️
Schouten closes out Set 2 for the Gaels!#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/qFxitVmau7
After hitting 0.218 in the first two sets, and out-killing the Beavs 31-21, the Gaels would struggle to find their offensive footing for the remainder of the match, as they hit just -0.022 for the final three frames, and saw Oregon State hold a +22 kills advantage. Oregon State led set three wire-to-wire, with the Gaels within one just twice in the set, at 0-1 and 1-2. Genevieve Bane accounted for three of the Gaels seven kills in the set, a set taken by the Beavers 25-16.
Genevieve Bane spoils a great save by the Beavers with her eighth kill of the night 🤩#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/yXJ7iE1s4p
— Saint Mary's Volleyball (@SMC_Volleyball) November 7, 2025
Saint Mary's was able to push back early in set four, taking an early 8-7 lead, but the Beavers closed out the frame on an 18-9 run, forcing a decisive fifth. The Gaels recorded just five kills in the fourth set, all from five different plays. Anaya Thrower got her hands on three blocks, as the defensive effort at the net forced six Beaver errors, helping the Gaels keep things closer than expected in a five kills set.
While set five in volleyball is an abridged version of the other, needing just 15 points to win, the Gaels and Beavers locked in a marathon final frame that featured 15 ties and nine lead changes. Saint Mary's opened up with three straight points before Oregon State responded with three of their own, and would eventually take their first lead at 6-5. Back-and-forth these two combatants battled, trading side-outs, until the Gaels found themselves serving for the match at 14-13. A kill from Oregon State would force bonus volleyball, but Saint Mary's would find themselves serving for the match three more times at 15-14, 17-16 and 18-17, but were never able to put the Beavers away. At 19-18, a Gael attack error would end the match in favor of Oregon State, staving off the red-hot Gaels and ending their six game win streak. Genevieve Bane was set just four times in the final frame, but converted three of those into kills, as the Gaels top attacker in the final stanza.
Ladies and gentlemen, GENEVIEVE BANE 🤩#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/5GlWrRWO3F
— Saint Mary's Volleyball (@SMC_Volleyball) November 7, 2025
AGAIN, GENEVIEVE BANE 😱#GaelsRise pic.twitter.com/vn0nQOOZkg
— Saint Mary's Volleyball (@SMC_Volleyball) November 7, 2025
Bane finished the evening with a team-high 14 kills. Miley Thunstrom and Abby Castillon both joined Bane in double-digit kills land, with 10 each. Setters Ivona Lazovic and Madi Zorn were both strong as distributors and from the service line, with 26 and 16 assists respectively, while each tallying and pair of aces. Alayna Pearson led the defensive effort with 17 digs, while Lazovic and Thunstrom each totalled 16. At the net, Anaya Thrower went for seven total blocks, while Tessa Schouten had six. The 79 digs as a team were a new season-high for the Gaels, both by total and per set (15.8).
SHARING THE WEALTH, DEFENSIVE EDITION
The Gaels surpassed the 70 dig mark for just the second time this season, and averaged more than 15 per set for the first time this year. The 79 digs tonight were the most by an SMC squad since 2022, when they tallied 85 in a five set win over Gonzaga. While the team number was high, the total distribution of digs was very well balanced, as nine of the 11 players who touched the floor tonight tallied at least three digs, and seven tallied at least five. While libero Alayna Pearson led the way with 17, both Ivona Lazovic and Miley Thunstrom finished just behind her with a career-high tallies of 16 each, as both freshmen recorded double-doubles for the match The defense was also strong at the net, with the Gaels reaching double-digit blocks for the sixth time in the last seven matches. Of the 13 total blocks, Anaya Thrower got her hands on seven, Tessa Schouten on six, Gracie Vohs on four and Miley Thunstrom on three, while three other Gaels had at least one. This all around defensive effort helped the Gaels hold Oregon State below 0.200 hitting for just the third time in conference play, with the other two coming against standouts Pepperdine and Washington State.
SHARING THE WEALTH, OFFENSIVE EDITION
With no Mya Allen, the Gaels went to a well balanced offensive attack, as setter Ivona Lazovic and Madi Zorn gave five different players at least 20 swings. Genevieve Bane turned 33 swings into a team-best 14 kills, playing just front row as an opposite. Starting full rotation outside hitters Miley Thunstrom and Abby Castillon turned 46 and 45 swings respectively into 10 kills each. Sophomore middle blocker Tessa Schouten was also well involved in the attack tonight, with 20 swings and a career-high matching eight kills.
COACHES CORNER
UP NEXT
The Gaels head south to San Diego, looking to hand the Toreros their first WCC loss of the season. First serve is set for noon on Saturday, November 8.
DON'T MISS OUT ON HOME VOLLEYBALL ACTION. TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE HERE.
#GaelsRise
Team Stats
OSU
SMC
Kills
63
51
Errors
27
34
Attempts
182
180
Hitting %
.198
.094
Points
79.5
70.0
Assists
57
49
Aces
3
6
Blocks
13.5
13
Game Leaders
Kills
14
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballS
/ Women's VolleyballL/DS
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
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