SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Two victories Saturday carried the Saint Mary’s beach volleyball team to the championship match of the inaugural West Coast Conference Championship Tournament, as the Gaels finished runner-up in the first-ever championship event to title winner Pepperdine at Ocean Beach.
Saint Mary’s (17-6) won back-to-back elimination matches to get to the championship match versus national No. 2-ranked and tournament top seed Pepperdine. The Gaels began the day by beating No. 2 seed San Francisco, 3-2, avenging a 3-2 loss against the Dons at Stanford on the season’s Opening Day on March 6. Pivotal to the Gaels eliminating the Dons was Hannah Liserra and Alex O’Sullivan’s win at No.