SAN FRANCISCO – The Gators of San Francisco defended their home court from the Saints, sweeping SMU to a tune of 25-11, 25-22, and 25-21 as Saint Martin's begins the Division II NCAA West Region Volleyball Showcase.
 
After struggling to find their offense in the first set, the Saints (0-3) battled the Gators (4-0) evenly through the next two sets; however, were unable to secure a set victory. Rachel Gondrezick led the team in both kills (9) and digs (13) while Alyssa Bartlett added a team high 23 assists.
 
SFSU quickly jumped on the Saints in the opening set, leading off with an 11-1 run, en route to their 25-11 victory.
 
In the second set, the Saints took an early 5-4 lead after back-to-back kills by Barlett and Emily Gooding. After the Gators scored three straight, the Saints responded with four of their own, highlighted by two Gondrezick kills. SMU continued to lead at 13-12 until a 9-2 run helped San Francisco regain the lead. The Saints managed to pull within two points at the end, but fell short 25-22.
 
SFSU, like the first set, used an early run to establish control at 11-6; however, the Saints forced their way back into the set. A kill by Gondrezick and ace by Gooding pulled SMU to within one at 13-12. Both sides traded points throughout the set until the Gators scored three of the final four points to secure the sweep.
 
"SFSU has four hitters that can score and that means you have a good offense," said head coach Jon Killingbeck. "We did a good job of battling and learning and that is the process that will make us better down the road."
 
Bartlett, along with her 23 assists, managed an impressive .417 attack percentage after gathering five kills, with no errors on 12 attempts. Gondrezick led the team with nine kills on 22 attacks, and 13 digs. Courtney Misner recorded 12 digs and three assists.
 
The Saints play their second match of the day at 7:30 p.m. against Hawaii Hilo, who the Saints lost to last week on Hilo's home court.