The Saint Mary’s Gaels defeated the Portland Pilots 3–1 in women’s volleyball on Oct. 10 in Moraga. Saint Mary’s won 25–20, 25–16, 24–26, 25–19 for its third consecutive victory. The Gaels improved to 10–8 overall and 5–1 in West Coast Conference play.
Aces and a fourth-set response
Antonie Kelnarova led Saint Mary’s with 17 kills, while Layne Dent added 11. Sadie White recorded 40 assists and 13 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. The Gaels finished with 14 service aces, including five from Alayna Pearson and four from Natalie Peete.
Saint Mary’s led the third set 20–17 before Portland closed on a 9–4 run to extend the match. The Gaels recovered in the fourth and never trailed in the deciding set. Their strong serving helped prevent the Pilots from building on that comeback.
CSB Take
Saint Mary’s answered a lost third-set lead with a controlled finish. Its serving gave the attack additional opportunities while limiting Portland’s ability to settle into offense. Keeping that pressure consistent can help the Gaels maintain their strong conference start.
