MORAGA, Calif. — The 11 game arduous road non-conference slate wears on for the Gaels with a trip to Waco, Texas, as Saint Mary's (1-2) will take part in the 2025 Baylor Classic, taking on the likes of Northwestern (3-0), Baylor (2-1) and Rice (1-2). This week's contests provide quite the challenge for the Gaels, with Northwestern going unbeaten in their opening weekend, Baylor ranked 20th in the country, and Rice receiving national votes in the latest AVCA Poll. 

THE DETAILS
Saint Mary's Gaels vs. Northwestern Wildcats
Friday, September 5 at 12:30 PM PST
Ferrell Center — Waco, Tex.
LIVE STATS

Saint Mary's Gaels at #20 Baylor Bears
Friday, September 5 at 5 PM PST
Ferrell Center — Waco, Tex.
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Saint Mary's Gaels vs. RV Rice Owls
Saturday, September 6 at 11 AM PST
Ferrell Center — Waco, Tex.
LIVE STATS

THE STREAK CONTINUES
After recording 13, 13 and 20 kills in her first three matches of 2025, Genevieve Bane now holds the second longest consecutive double-digit kills streak in program history. Bane is now only chasing Gael legend Jordan SHaw, who went for 13 consecutive double-digit kill matches in the 2013 season. Shaw would finish that season with 396 kills (10th most in single season program history) and finished her career with 1087 kills (9th most in program history).

THE SERVE GIVETH, AND THE SERVE TAKETH AWAY
Over the opening three match weekend, the Gaels tallied 31 service aces, their most since their three game stretch between Oct. 12 and Oct. 19 of 2023, when they defeated Gonzaga, Portland and Pacific with 34 aces. In their weekend finale against North Dakota State, Saint Mary's tallied 15 aces in the five set match, tied for the third most in a single match in program history. For the weekend, the Gaels were led by Genevieve Bane and Ivona Lazovic at the service line. Bane totalled nine aces in the three matches, pushing her over the century mark for her career and ranking her first in the conference and ninth in the country in the early going, while Lazovic had all six of hers in a single match vs North Dakota State, tying her for the fifth most aces in a single match in program history. Following the culmination of week one of collegiate volleyball, the Gaels led the WCC in service aces per set and total service aces, ranking sixth in the country in total aces. Unfortunately, the Gaels serve went under the "high risk, high reward" category, as despite the high number of aces, the Gaels did have a program record 54 service errors over their first three contests.

COACH'S CORNER


ABOUT THE WILDCATS
Northwestern enjoyed an unbeaten opening weekend, defeating New Mexico State, Eastern Washington and UC San Diego at the UCSD Invitational. After just a five win season in his debut campaign at the helm of the Wildcats, head coach Tim Nollan looks well on his way to righting the ship in Evansville, just like he did in his time at Grand Canyon. Returning starters Drew Wright and Rylen Reid have led the charge for a Wildcats squad that also features three key transfers (Campbell Paris, Ayah Elnady and Bella Simkus) and true freshman Kayla Kauffman. Through their first three matches, Northwestern ranks in the top-20 in the country in service aces and hitting percentage, helping lead to their perfect start. Northwestern will take on host Baylor on Thursday evening, before clashing with the Gaels on Friday afternoon. This is the first all-time meeting between the Gaels and the Wildcats, and their first meeting with a Big 10 foe since 2017 when they took on Nebraska. 

ABOUT THE BEARS
The Baylor Bears have maintained their spot at #20 in the second AVCA Rankings of the year after a 2-1 weekend opening their season with three games in Baton Rouge. The Bears defeated South Alabama and host LSU, with their only loss coming in five sets to then tenth ranked SMU. In his first 10 seasons in Waco, Head Coach Ryan McGuyre has not experienced a losing season, and has at least 20 wins in eight of those last 10 seasons. This season, Coach McGuyre returns just one starter, middle blocker Victoria Davis, but has built up an exciting lineup comprised of three freshmen, one transfer and a bevy of returners looking to take on bigger roles from a season ago. So far on this young season, it's been one of those returners, Manuela Bibinbe, who has led this team. The grad student middle blocker has tallied 42 kills and 12 blocks through the first three matches of the season, as she looks to fill a role left by one of six starters from 2024 that either graduated or transferred from the Baylor program. A little less than 24 hours prior to this contest, the Bears will be playing Northwestern. This matchup will be the Gaels first all-time vs Baylor, and their first meeting with a Big 12 program since they took Iowa State in 2013.

ABOUT THE OWLS
After going 1-1 on opening weekend, playing host to ninth ranked Texas A&M in a loss and Central Arkansas in a sweep win, Rice found themselves receiving votes in the first AVCA Poll of the season. The Owls fell in four to Texas earlier this week, and will need to do work in Waco when they square off with both the Gaels and Baylor, in order to remain in early national conversations. Head Coach Genny Volpe is now in her 22nd season at the helm of the Rice program and has just three losing seasons in that time, including a current streak of 11 consecutive winning seasons heading into 2025. With returning All-AAC selections Lademi Ogunlana and Savannah Skopal headlining a solid roster that also features Michigan State transfer Taylor Preston and Georgia transfer Arissa Smith, there is a lot of buzz around this team, who should pose yet another good test for the Gaels early. Saint Mary's and Rice have met just once in the two programs' histories, back in 1992, when the Owls downed the Gaels in five. 

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