MORAGA, Calif. — With all the buzz about the Saint Mary's Gaels volleyball program following the hire of Head Coach Tyler Hildebrand, the wait is almost over, as the Gaels will host an open exhibition on Saturday, August 16, hosting CSU Bakersfield inside UCU Pavilion at 5:30 PM. The best part? You will have the opportunity to see the new look Gaels up close free of charge, as admission to this exhibition will be free. Come out to see the beginning of a new era of Saint Mary's Volleyball!

THE DETAILS
Saint Mary's Gaels vs CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners
Saturday, August 16 at 5:30 PM
UCU Pavilion – Moraga, Calif. 
LIVE STATS

WELCOME TO MORAGA!
Head Coach Tyler Hildebrand will not be the only new Gael to get to know heading into the 2025 season. Coach Hildebrand brought in an entirely new staff; Associate Head Coach Brian Cook and Assistant Coaches Colin Hassoun and Paige McLeod, and a recruiting class of 10 new Gaels that will compete for the first time in a Saint Mary's uniform this upcoming weekend. Coach Hildebrand's first three recruits came out of the transfer portal. Outside hitter Vivian Parker spent last season at Missouri, as did libero Alayna Pearson. Middle blocker Anaya Thrower rounds out the group of portal signees for the Gaels, returning to her home state after a season in Eugene with the Oregon Ducks. As for true freshmen, the Gaels brought in seven this offseason, who have all been working hard to earn playing time throughout their first practices as Gaels. Starting at the defensive specialist position, Milani Billings has made her way to Moraga all the way from Miramar, Florida, and is coming off of a District Title at Sagemont Prep. The Gaels brought in a pair of freshmen setters with international flair. Candela Ruano originally hails from Spain, having played for her country's U17, U18 and U19 national teams, and prepped at Cherry Creek High School in Colorado. Ivona Lazovic comes from Serbia, where she played for Crvena Zvezda of the BPS Superliga Seniorke. At the pins, the Gaels brought in four true freshmen, Texan Mya Allen, Washingtonian Layne Dent, and a pair of SoCal products, Miley Thunstrom and Amanda Prior. Dent, Thunstrom and Prior all add good size for the Gaels, each standing at 6-0 or taller, while Allen, just 5-9, gained national attention during her prep career for her incredible vertical leaping ability. With so many new Gaels, the exhibition on Saturday night will give fans their first look at many new players who may instantly be thrown into the mix at the start of the new season. 

THEY'RE BACK!
Despite having an incoming class of 10, Coach Hildebrand did manage to retain 12 student-athletes from last season. Headlining the group are returning all-conference outside hitters Genevieve Bane and Clarissa Klein. Fellow starting outside hitter and last season's digs leader Abby Castillon is also back, along with pins Gracie Vohs and Anna Hanson, who both saw minimal playing time a season ago. In the middle, both of last year's starters, Tessa Schouten and Kaliko Kealoha, return for their sophomore seasons. After running at 6-2 rotation last year, both primary setters, Hailee Garcia and Madi Zorn are also back, as well as Mia Paulson, who sat out all of last year after transferring in. Finishing off the group of returners are liberos Katherine Gee and Natalie Peete, who split time in that role last season. With a new coaching staff, all spots are up for grabs, pushing this group of returners to go the extra mile at pre-season practices. 

ABOUT THE ROADRUNNERS 
A season ago, CSU Bakersfield went 12-18, finishing in eighth place in the 11 team Big West Conference. That said, this year's rendition of the Roadrunners resembles very little of last year's squad, with just one returning player from last year's roster, and two new Co-Head Coaches. One of those coaches spent the last three years on the Gaels sideline, in the form of Cinthia Angus, while the other, Felipe Nogueira, was last on staff at Seattle University. Druegan Davis is the lone returner on this squad, a right side hitter, who saw action in 29 of 30 matches last year, tallying 130 kills. The rest of the team is made up of nine transfers and five true freshmen. Headlining the group of newcomers are Virginia Tech transfer outside hitter Nicole Zake, Nicholls State starting setter from a year ago Evelyn Trivino Espinosa, and last year's National Junior College leader in assists and Miami Dade College Luiza Da Cruz. While Saturday evening's contest is an exhibition affair and will not count towards either team's record, in recent history, the Gaels and Roadrunners have met up seven times in the last 18 years, with the Gaels holding a 6-1 record all-time. 

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