UC Davis Far Westerns Tournament

By: Isabella Buoncristiani '28

The UC Davis Far Westerns Tournament was held over the weekend and our lovely Women's Club Volleyball team was in attendance. On day one of the tournament the Gaels were challenged by UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis B team, USF, and UC Santa Cruz. Day two consisted of matches against Chico State, UC Davis A team, and San Jose State. 

Juliette Rivera '28 opened up strong with high energy as soon as she stepped on the court. Her defense was immaculate as well as her sportsmanship; hyping up every single one of her teammates through good and bad. UC Santa Barbara came full swing at our Gaels, but they weren't going down without a fight. The Gauchos are third in the nation, so this 1-2 loss for the Gaels was celebrated as they felt proud for dominating at least one set. Sliding into the next match, the Gaels felt a bit intimated as the UC Davis B team had beat them four years in a row. Riley Rizzo '27 soon disputed these nerves as her performance as middle blocker was quite picturesque. Her coverage with strong blocks aided in the Gaels finally winning 2-1 against the Aggies, breaking the four year streak. 

The USF Dons were tough cookies to crack as both teams were neck and neck. USF won the first set, then the Gaels finished up the second with a 32-30 win. But, despite their best attempts in the third set, Saint Mary's did come up short. Closing out the end of day one was a game against UC Santa Cruz. The Gaels drove the Banana Slugs mad with a 3-0 win. Taking every game to three sets, it was a long ten hour day for this team. 

Waking up on Sunday the Gaels felt exhausted but were still ready to give the day their best shot. The Chico State Wildcats had their claws out for the entire duration of the first two sets, causing the Gaels a 0-2 loss. The Gaels shook off this loss and kept their motivation up for their game against UC Davis A team. Even with their utmost exertion, the Gaels did come up short. Trailing into their third and final match of the tournament, Angel Gumboc '28 stepped up with kills that secured Saint Mary's a third set against San Jose State. Gumbo was authoritative with her serves and outside pin hits. This was especially helpful as one of their main hitters was injured. Despite these tremendous efforts though, the Gaels were defeated. 

Overall, this great group of ladies made enormous strides in a positive direction. They achieved gold bracket status by the second day and felt extreme pride in how well they persisted in spite of adversity. Each player proudly gave 110% effort to the game, their teammates, and themselves. The bond this team has is filled with support and immense endearment. 

Their next game will be away this weekend at the University of Nevada, Reno at 10:30 AM. If you can't make it, be sure to watch the game live on their Instagram page, @smcwomensclubvball. Go Gaels!