SAN BRUNO, Calif. – Two West Coast Conference Programs broke program records in wins this season with Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara making history at the West Coast Conference Beach Volleyball Tournament.
The Gaels set a new single-season win mark with a win against Sacramento State to earn their 21st win of the season. That mark surpassed win totals in 2019 and 2025. With wins later in the season, including a sweep against Pacific in the West Coast Conference Beach Volleyball Tournament, Saint Mary’s set the new record mark at 26 wins.
Santa Clara also broke a program record in wins earlier this season with a 3-2 victory over UC Davis, breaking the previous 18-win mark the Broncos set in both 2023 and 2025. With four wins at the conference tournament, which included a second straight appearance in the championship match, Santa Clara’s record stands firmly at 23 victories.
LMU, earning the automatic qualifier after winning the West Coast Conference Beach Volleyball Tournament, earned the No. 7 seed in the NC Beach Volleyball Championship in Gulf Shores, Ala., after another stellar year in the sand. The Lions finished the regular season 29-10 and entered the tournament on a seven-dual winning streak. LMU faced No. 10 TCU in the opening round dual, a rematch of the previous year’s national championship match that saw the Horned Frogs win, 4-1.
The Lions won the rematch, 3-2, and advanced to the quarterfinal round for the sixth consecutive year. LMU lost to No. 2 seed Texas, ending its season. LMU ended the final AVCA Coaches’ Poll at No. 7.
LMU swept the West Coast Conference individual awards, including Lions’ head coach John Mayer garnering West Coast Conference Coach of the Year for the seventh consecutive year. No coach in any sport in league history has been voted coach of the year by their peers that many years consecutively. LMU’s Chloe Hooker earned Defensive Player of the Year, Josefine Schaekel Freshman of the Year and duo Anna Pelloia and Tanon Rosenthal were awarded Pair of the Year.
The accolades did not end for Pelloia and Rosenthal with conference honors, as the two were also announced as AVCA First Team All-America honorees. The two were paired for a majority of the season together on the first court and went 17-6, which includes match victories against top-ranked opponents – No. 11 GCU twice, No. 5 USC twice, No. 12 LSU, No. 13 Arizona State, No. 10 Long Beach State twice, No. 14 Stetson, No. 2 Texas and No. 10 TCU in the NC Beach Volleyball Championship.
