STOCKTON, Calif. - The University of the Pacific volleyball team is back on the road to face Saint Mary's after a brief two-match homestand where they faced Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount. The Tigers saw its four-match winning streak snapped in a loss to Loyola Marymount, last Saturday. The Tigers will look to start a new winning streak as they face the Gaels, who enter the contest with an 8-8 overall mark and 2-5 in West Coast Conference play. 

MATCH DETAILS:
Teams:  University of the Pacific (7-11, 4-3 WCC) at Saint Mary's College (8-8, 2-5 WCC)
Date: Friday, Oct. 15
Time: 7 p.m. (PT)
Location: Moraga, Calif. | University Credit Union Pavilion

Special Note for those planning to attend: In order to comply with the current Contra Costa Public Health Order dated 9/14/21, all fans 12 and older attending events inside UCU Pavilion will need to show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test beginning September 28th, 2021.  In order to be accepted, a negative Covid-19 test must have been administered a maximum of 72 hours prior to the event. 
 
Saint Mary's Quick Facts
• Name: Saint Mary's College
• Location: Moraga, Calif.
• Nickname: Gaels
• Head Coach: Rob Browning
• Last win for Pacific: Sept. 27, 2019
• Last win for Pacific in Moraga: Oct. 14, 2017
• Series Note: The Gales have won four of the last five meetings.

Last Time Out
After winning its first five-set match of the season against Pepperdine, the Tigers nearly overcame a two-set to none deficit against Loyola Marymount last Saturday. The visiting Lions had taken the first two sets by an identical margin of 25-21 before the Tigers roared back to win the next two sets, 25-12 and 25-21 to force a fifth set that went in favor of the visitors by a 15-8 margin.

Four-Match Winning Streak
During the four-match winning streak, the Tigers recorded 1908 kills and posted a .216 hitting percentage with 173 assists to go along with 35 service aces and 35 blocks. The last four-match winning streak for Pacific was Sept. 20-Oct. 1 as the Tigers defeated Butler and Belmont in non-conference play and Saint Mary's and San Francisco in WCC action. The last time that Pacific won four-straight WCC matches was Nov. 1-Nov. 10 as Pacific defeated LMU, Pepperdine, Gonzaga and Portland.

A Look Back at the Historic Win over No. 23 Pepperdine
The win over the Wave was the Tigers first win over a nationally-ranked team since Sept. 25, 2014, when Pacific defeated then No. 21 Loyola Marymount, 20-25, 21-25, 25-22, 25-22, 15-11. Furthermore, it is just the third time since 2009 that Pacific has beat a nationally-ranked team at home.

NCAA Rankings
Alexa Edwards 
 - 34th in Kills (263)
 - 38th in Attacks per set (11.19)
 - 78th in Kills per set (3.81)

Jenna Heller
 - 29th in Service Aces (28)
 - 60th in Aces per set (0.43)

Jadyn Tubbs 
- 59th in Total Digs (260)

Kumanova Earns Weekly Honor from ASVR
Sophomore Darina Kumanova was named the ASVR Global Player of the Week for her efforts, last week. Kumanova was instrumental in the Tigers' efforts last week that included a win over nationally-ranked Pepperdine and a heartbreaking five-set loss to Loyola Marymount. In the win over Pepperdine, she had a double double with 12 kills and 13 digs. She delivered the game-winning kill against the Wave in the fifth and deciding set. Against Loyola Marymount, Kumanova posted 13 kills and eight digs in the loss. Past Pacific honorees include Svenja Engelhardt in 2010 en route to being named the ASVR Player of the Year. Engelhardt was a three-time honoree and former Tiger Natalia Tomaszewska received recognition in 2008.

Single Digits
Pacific had just eight hitting errors to go along with 31 kills in the straight-set win over Portland (Sept. 30). The last time that Pacific had single-digit hitting errors was in a nine-error effort against Portland (Nov. 10, 2018). Pacific has had single-digit hitting errors on three occasions since 2015. The last time that they had eight was on 3 was against Little Rock on August 29, 2014.

Block Party
The Tigers are averaging 1.80 blocks per set including a season-high 12 blocks in the five-set loss to Cal (Sept. 4). The 12 blocks are the most by a Pacific team since a 12 block effort at Portland on October 10, 2019. Kennedy Kaminsky leads the Tigers with 44 blocks – 12 block solos and 32 block assists. In nine matches, most recently at Gonzaga, the Tigers have recorded double-figure block assists. Pacific recorded a season-high 18 against CSUN (Sept. 11). The 18 were the most since a 22-block assist effort against Pepperdine on Nov. 3, 2018.

Home Sweet Home
With the win over USF on Sept. 28, the Tigers have won eight of its last nine conference home openers. Plus, Pacific has now won nine of its last ten meetings at home against the University of San Francisco. The lone blemish came last spring on Feb. 9, 2021. 

Bringing the Hammer
In the five-set win over Pepperdine (Oct. 7), the Tigers put down a season-high 67 kills. The 67 kills are the most since a 71-kill effort against Santa Clark on Feb. 23, 2021. Also, Pacific hit .239 in the win against Pepperdine – its third highest hitting percentage of the season.

All-Tournament Honors
• Ramonni Cook (Elk Grove, Calif.) was named to the Sacramento State All-Tournament Team. Cook averaged 2.67 kills per set and a .197 hitting percentage, plus she also averaged 0.67 blocks. In the Tigers' four-set win over CSUN, she had 10 kills en route to a .304 hitting percentage to go along with four blocks. The night before in a five-set loss to Sacramento State, she had 13 kills and three blocks.
• Alexa Edwards (Sacramento, Calif.), Darina Kumanova (Sofia, Bulgaria) and Jadyn Tubbs (Turlock, Calif.) were named to the Pacific Community Classic All-Tournament Team. Edwards, a sophomore outside hitter from Sacramento, had 50 kills and a .252 hitting percentage to go along with six blocks in the three matches to lead Pacific. She recorded a season-high 21 kills in the five-set loss to Cal. She started the tournament with an 18-kill performance in the straight-set win over Tarleton State.

Kumanova, a sophomore outside hitter from Sofia, Bulgaria, has made an immediate impact after transferring in from UMBC. She had 31 kills and a .194 hitting percentage and a team-best 10 service aces. Kumanova had five service aces in the straight-set win over UC San Diego.

Tubbs, a senior libero from Turlock, had a team-best 56 digs and five service aces in the three matches. All five of her service aces came in the straight-set win over Tarleton State.

Serving Up Aces
Pacific has had 12 service aces in three matches, most recently against USF (Sept. 28). The 12 aces are the most by a Pacific squad since they also had 12 aces against Alabama State on Sept. 7, 2018. Of note, Pacific had 13 service aces against the University of San Francisco on October 21, 2017.

No Sophomore Jinx
Sophomore Alexa Edwards is off to a strong second season in the orange and black with a team-high 263 kills. Her 263 kills lead the West Coast Conference, plus she has been in double figures in kills in 15 of the Tigers' 19 matches. The 263 kills are the most by any sophomore in the nation. 

Just Diggin It
Tigers' libero Jadyn Tubbs leads the WCC with 296 digs. Last spring, she broke the 1,000 career dig plateau. Tubbs is averaging 4.39 digs per set.

Setting Up for Success
Pacific is using a pair of setters – Jenna Heller and Gabby Leo – to set up its attack. Heller leads the Tigers with 349 assists and Leo has 198. 

Family Tree
Alexa Edwards (Sacramento, Calif.), Jenna Heller (Gilbert, Ariz.) and Sammie Sublett (Ramona, Calif.) are second generation members of the Tigers. Cathy Lumb-Edwards, the mother of Alexa Edwards,  played for the Tigers from 1980-83 and served as a graduate assistant for Pacific's 1986 national championship team. Heller is the third member of her family to attend Pacific, as her father DJ (1989-90) played baseball while her mother Melanie Beckenhauer-Heller (1988-91) was a two-time All-American on the volleyball team. Sublett's mother, Leona Bielefeld-Sublett (1985-88), was a player on both of the Tigers' 1985 and 1986 national championship teams.
 
Classroom Success
The Tigers' Gabby Leo was named to the West Coast Conference All-Academic Team for a second-straight year for her efforts in the classroom. At the conclusion of each athletic season, the WCC selects an all-academic squad for each WCC-sponsored sport. To be considered, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average, while also being a significant contributor to her team.