VB Team
Ron Smith

Saints Host Linfield Before Traveling To Western Oregon

9/20/2021 5:30:00 PM

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Upcoming Games

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FULL MEDIA GUIDE

Live Stats/Live Video â€“ Live Stats of Saint Martin's Volleyball Games will be available with links found on smusaints.com. Live Video is TBA on a game-to-game basis. Live stats and video will be produced by the Host School.

Social Media â€“ Follow the Saints on Twitter (@smusaints_vb) for in game updates and follow SMU Athletics on Facebook (Saint Martin's Saints), Twitter (SMUSaints), Instagram (SMUSaints).
 
Ticket Information â€“ All Saint Martin’s home games tickets can be purchased online at smusaints.com. Skip the line at the gate by purchasing online, saving your digital ticket, and scanning it at the door!
 
Saints Digital Network â€“ The Saints Digital Network on YouTube is your home all Saint Martin's Athletics. Live stats and video broadcast are available of every home game this season for free and can be found on smusaints.com.


Projected Starting Lineup â€“

OH

Tia Allen

124 Kills

149.0 Points

117 Digs

OH

Ilana Sagapolutele

48 Kills

52.0 Points

11 Digs

RS

Emily Gooding

85 Kills

94.5 Points

16 Blocks

MB

Gracie Brenner

43 Kills

53.5 Points

15 Blocks

MB

Maddy Gooding

43 Kills

75.0 Points

41 Blocks

S

Analise Hitchcock

229 Assists

9 Aces

68 Digs

L

Giselle Benetti

9 Assists

11 Aces

118 Digs

 
Saints' VB Named GNAC Co-Team of the Week - An undefeated weekend, tournament MVP, two All-Tournament selections, and now the Saints' Volleyball team is the GNAC Co-Team of the Week on September 7. Off to their best start in five years, the Saints swept through their opponents in Billings to share the Team of the Week with Simon Fraser volleyball, who also went 4-0 in their tournament.

 

M-V-P M-V-P Chants! - No defense had an answer for the electric freshman Tia Allen, who finished with 58 kills in the tournament. Allen collected 4.53 points per set and led the team total with 72.5 points. Her eight service aces also ranked the best on the team. Not only did Allen dominate on the offensive side, she also was second on the team in digs at 53, and blocks at 10. She was named the Yellowjacket Invitational MVP.

 

GNAC Player of the Week - Kylie Alos, who was named to the Yellowjacket Invitational All-Tournament team after helping the Saints went 4-0 on the weekend. Anchoring the back line, Alos finished the weekend with 89 digs total, with a 5.56 digs per set average. In three of the four matches, Alos recorded 20+ digs, including a best of 28 against Bemidji State in four sets. It marked the first of her career.

 

0 To 100 Real Quick – Head coach Dan Behnke collected his 100th career win in just 157 matches with the Saints’ victory over Hawai’i Hilo on September 10.

 

Best Start In Program History – For the first time since the Saints’ joined the NCAA in 1998, SMU volleyball opened their season undefeated in their first five matches.

 

Leading The GNAC – Entering the week, Saint Martin’s ranks first in the GNAC in digs per set at 18.16, ahead of Northwest Nazarene’s 18.00. Saint Martin’s also ranks second in opponent hitting percentage, limiting teams to only .139. 

 

Among The Best In The West – Entering the week, Tia Allen ranks fourth in points per set (3.92), and fifth in kills per set (3.26), and service aces per set (.39) in the GNAC. Giselle Benetti sits seventh in service aces per set (.38), and seventh in digs per set (4.07). Kylie Alos is fifth in digs per set (4.26). Maddy Gooding ranks eighth in blocks per set (1.11).

 

Picking Up Where She Left Off – Kylie Coon had a mini breakout year in 2020, quickly becoming the Saints’ top offensive weapon. To start 2021, Coon has been an impact hitter once again with team’s third most kills at 66, including a season-high 15 kills against Black Hills State.
 
New Era â€“ Saint Martin's volleyball begins a new era as Dan Behnke takes over as head coach. Behnke was hired back in February of 2020 and comes to SMU after coaching for five seasons at NAIA Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas. During his time at Huston-Tillotson, Behnke went 94-52, including a 75-20 in the last three years. Prior to his arrival, Huston-Tillotson went 16-145 in a five-year span.
 
Sister Connection â€“ The Gooding sisters looked right in sync from the very beginning. Maddy Gooding tallied 20 kills, a team-leading 21 blocks, and six service aces over the MSUB tournament. Meanwhile, Emily Gooding was third on the team at 40 kills, along with nine blocks.
 
Meet The New Saints â€“

2

Abigail Halstead

DS/L

5-7

FR

San Antonio, TX / Louis D Brandeis

3

Mahina Pescaia

S

5-8

FR

Kailua, HI / Kamehameha Schools Maui

4

Tia Allen

OH

5-11

FR

Clayton, WA / Mt. Spokane HS

21

Jennifer Soha

MB

6-0

FR

Reno, NV / Green Valley HS

26

Kayla May

L

5-5

FR

Fairview, OR / Troutdale HS