MORAGA, Calif. — The final week of the beach volleyball regular season is upon us, and the Gaels (17-14) are surging at the right time. Winners of seven of their last nine, Saint Mary's is looking in peak shape for postseason play in the WCC Tournament, and will have one more week of preparation for said tournament, as the Gaels host Sacramento State and Pacific on Saturday, April 19 at Shaw and Knudsen Courts. As it will be the final home match of the season, the Gaels will honor their four graduating seniors, Allie Cataldo, Hannah Couch, Sedona Sherman and Chloe Swanson, in a ceremony between game one (Sacramento State, 9:30 AM) and game two (Pacific, 1 PM).

The Gaels took three of four in Boise last weekend, outsourcing their opponents 12-8 over their four matches. Things got started with a quick 4-1 defeat of conference foe Portland, followed by a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Cal State Bakersfield. Down 2-1 to the roadrunners, Angelina Bour and Nya Crump tied things up with a two set victory at the threes. Allie Cataldo and Hannah Couch fell into an early 0-1 hole in the decisive one flight match, but rattled off a quick 21-15 set two win, before outlasting the roadrunners top pair 16-14 in the decisive third set to secure the Gael victory. Day two and match three of the tournament again saw the Gaels go down to the wire, this time against Colorado Mesa. Again, Cataldo and Couch dropped set one, and again, they showed grit and fortitude to polish off the match by winning sets two and three. In the de facto event championship, the Gaels took on the host Broncos, who were also undefeated in the event coming into the matchup. Boise State quickly took care of business, winning the 2, 4, and 5 flights, however, Bour/Crump and Cataldo/Couch both continued to battle to the very end, picking up victories in straight sets to finish the match at a 3-2 scoreline. Allie Cataldo and Hannah Couch went unbeaten on the weekend at 4-0, moving their season record to 21-10 together for the year. 

The Hornets and Gaels will square off for a third and final time this season, with the Gaels already sitting at 2-0 against them this year. First year Co-Head Coach Angela Lewis has paired with 13th year fellow Co-Head Coach Ruben Volta to amass a 7-16 record this year, matching the program's highest win total since 2017. After a victory over Pacific in Stockton earlier this week, the Hornets have some momentum rolling into Saturday, as they will look to best the Gaels after falling in a pair of 3-2 decisions against them this season. At the twos, Ashlynn Archer and Ellie Tisko have been the best performers this year for Sac State, going 14-9 overall and 13-9 in the second position. They, along with the one pairing of Bridgette Smith and Caitlin Volkmann (13-10) are the two pairs that hold winning records on the roster for Coach Lewis and Coach Volta. In 15 meetings all-time, the Hornets have never beaten the Gaels, including four losses in Moraga. 

Sitting at 1-19 for the year, Pacific will look to steal one from the Gaels on their Senior Day in Moraga, after falling 5-0 on their own Senior Day to Sacramento State. First year Head Coach Jaida Ward ended the program's 59 game losing streak this year with a win over Delta College, but hasn't been able to pick one up since. The Tigers have a pair of seniors on their squad, Ashley Davis and Margherita Giani, who will also be playing in the final regular season match of their careers. Pacific has won just three of the 25 all-time matchups against the Gaels, and has lost 19 straight to Saint Mary's. 

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