BVB | Gaels Split on Day One of West Coast Challenge to Guarantee Top-Four Finish

Friday, March 27

Santa Cruz, CA

11:00 AM

Saint Mary's College of California

San Francisco

Bella Reyes (L) and Isla Johnson (R)

Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner

BVB | Gaels Split on Day One of West Coast Challenge to Guarantee Top-Four Finish

3/27/2026 6:47:00 PM | Women's Beach Volleyball

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — The Saint Mary's beach volleyball team split a pair of 5-0 decisions on day one of the West Coast Midseason Challenge, defeating cross-bay rivals San Francisco and falling to sixth ranked LMU. With the split, the Gaels guaranteed a top-four finish in the event, with two more matches scheduled for tomorrow.

The Gaels (17-7) made quick work of the Dons (7-12), winning four of their five matches in straight sets. Isla Johnson and Bella Reyes put together a dominant performance at the threes to start things off on the right foot, 21-18, 21-14, while Barett Nolan and Hannah Glick defended their WCC Pair of the Week nod by moving their winning streak to 12 in a row, 21-14, 21-15. The Dons were the third WCC foe that the Gaels have faced this season, and their win guaranteed a meeting with their fourth conference rival, the LMU Lions.

The sixth ranked Lions (17-5) were able to best the Gaels 5-0. The Gaels two hottest pairs, Nolan and Glick at the fives, and Angelina Bour and Clarissa Klein at the twos, put up the best fights in this one. Nolan and Glick saw their unbeaten start come to an end, falling 21-17, 21-19, while Bour and Klein battled valiantly, falling 21-18, 21-17.

The Gaels will renew hostilities with Pepperdine tomorrow at 10 AM. The two have already met once this season, with the Waves defeating the Gaels 4-1 in Hawaii as part of the Heineken Queen's Cup.

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