PROVO, Utah--The BYU women’s volleyball team swept Saint Mary’s 3-0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-13) for its first West Coast Conference win Thursday at the Smith Fieldhouse. 

“We need to get better all the time,” BYU head coach Shawn Olmstead said. “The win helps give us confidence and is a good measuring stick.”

The win was a stark contrast to the last meeting between the two teams in the BYU Nike Invitational earlier this season, when Saint Mary’s pulled away with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 31-29) victory.

“I don’t know if I can put my finger on what the difference was,” Olmstead said. “We’ve had our ups and our downs, but it’s a credit to the team and it's hard work. They got out on the floor and executed.”

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In its inaugural season in the WCC, BYU moves to 12-3 overall and 1-0 in the WCC. Saint Mary’s now has an overall record of 6-7 and is 0-1 in conference play.

Sophomore opposite hitter Jennifer Hamson led the Cougars with 12 kills, hitting .550. Hamson leads the WCC in kills, averaging 4.30 per set.

Senior outside hitter Casey Thurston tallied a season-high eight kills on the night. Junior middle blocker Nicole Warner tied her season high for block assists with nine. Warner, who leads the WCC in blocks with a 1.66 average, posted a season-high 10 total blocks.

Saint Mary’s junior setter Missy White, who hails from Salt Lake City, Utah, led the Gaels in assists with 29. Junior setter Heather Hanneman had 27 assists for the Cougars.

The conference leader in blocks, BYU had a season-high 16.5 total team blocks to Saint Mary’s two.

After jumping out early, BYU never gave up the lead in the first set. Hamson dominated the set with six kills to help the Cougars to a 25-14 first-set victory.

In the second set, the Cougars went up 10-8 before the Gaels went on a 5-0 run to take the lead 13-10. Not to be outdone, the Cougars went on a 5-1 run of their own, regaining the lead 15-14. LeCheminant’s three-straight points sparked an 8-1 run to help the Cougars break away from the Gaels and take the second set, 25-17.

The beginning of the third set proved to be a closer contest. After a 2-2 tie, Saint Mary’s took a 6-2 lead. The Cougars caught up with the Gaels, tying the set again at 9-9. BYU then scored five straight points to take the lead 16-11.

What started as a back-and-forth battle ended in an 8-0 run for the Cougars, who took the third set 25-13.

BYU hit .423 in the third set, trouncing St. Mary’s .030 hitting average.

Next up, the Cougars hit the road to take on Loyola Marymount Thursday and San Diego Saturday.

BYU vs. SMC Box Score

PROVO, Utah—Gearing up for the rematch, the BYU women’s volleyball team will face Saint Mary’s Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Smith Fieldhouse to open conference play.

“We’re excited to start our inaugural season in the West Coast Conference,” BYU head coach Shawn Olmsead said. “Saint Mary’s is a wonderful volleyball program. It will be a good test for us come Thursday night.”

The Cougars (11-3) rebounded after a loss to Cal State Fullerton for a 3-1 win against Cal State Northridge Saturday. Saint Mary’s (6-6) comes to Provo after a 3-1 loss to Kansas State in the Saint Mary’s Tournament Saturday. BYU defeated Kansas State in the Varney’s Invitational Sept. 3 in a 3-0 sweep for the tournament title.

In the teams’ last outing, Saint Mary’s pulled away with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 31-29) victory, causing a three-way tie for second place in the BYU Nike Invitational.

Leading the Cougars, opposite hitter Jennifer Hamson passed 200 season kills against CSUN, averaging 14.42 per match. The sophomore also has 130 digs at 2.77 per set and 52 blocks. Over the weekend, Hamson recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 16 kills and 13 digs against CSUN.

Junior libero Heather Hannemann continues to be a strong presence on the court with 10.62 assists per game for a season total of 499. Hannemann contributes 2.43 digs per set.

With 78 blocks, Nicole Warner heads the BYU defense. Warner also put up 13 kills at .650 hitting in the win against Utah State and recorded 17 total blocks in the last three matches.

Lauren Corp leads the Gael offense with 162 kills at 3.45 per set. During the last matchup against BYU, Corp recorded 13 kills and six digs. Corp is joined on offense by Gabby Jolly with 2.24 kills per set. Jolly also leads in blocking with .96 per set and Sarah Reams leads in digs with 3.70 per set.

Thursday is “Jersey Night” at Elaine Michaelis Court. Fans are encouraged to wear their favorite jersey.

Due to the Jimmer’s All-Stars game at the Marriott Center Thursday night, the volleyball match will air on BYUtv at 10 p.m. that night. The match will still be streamed live online.

For links to live stats and video streaming, click HERE.

BYU vs. Saint Mary's Notes