SAINT MARY'S GAELS
Gaels Hope to Repeat with Conference Title

By Jennifer Starks


Rob Browning stood on the sidelines inside McKeon Pavilion on a recent afternoon, a flurry of action unfolding on the floor before him.

He observed members of the Saint Mary's College women's volleyball team running through a series of drills before briefly stopping play.

"Be assertive," the coach commanded. The quick bit of advice was well received. After all, as the Gaels begin building on the landmark season they enjoyed last year, focusing on the details is just as important as looking at the big picture. Saint Mary's made history by winning its first-ever West Coast Conference title last season, and the Gaels are currently moving forward feeling anything but content.

"Once you've accomplished it, it becomes, 'We know we can do it,' Browning said. "The thing we're trying to do now is be vigilant of any sort of complacency. We have to make sure to keep that intensity because it's easy to get lulled into a sense of, 'Yeah, we're good.' "

Clearly, Saint Mary's is good; the Gaels have proved as much. Under Browning, now in his sixth season, they've made three appearances in the NCAA tournament, advancing to the second round before falling to Stanford last season in five games. What's more, Saint Mary's entered the season ranked No. 25 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll.

Now that the bar in Moraga has been raised, middle blocker Shannon Lowell believes keeping it there is dependent on one thing.

"I think a lot of it is about the team that can stay focused," she said. "Who can stay focused on the goal."

It's a mighty challenge to be sure, but Browning is confident the Gaels have what it takes to reach even greater heights this season. Saint Mary's returns eight starters from last season's 23-5 team, including Megan York, Kapua Kamana'o, Lauren Corp, Missy White and Lowell.

A 6-foot-2 senior, Lowell was named to the All-WCC first team after setting the Gaels' single-season record for hitting percentage (.355). She notched 258 kills and was ranked 23rd in the nation in blocks with 1.30 per set. Kamana'o and Corp joined Lowell on the pre-season all-conference list.

While the veterans' contributions will be a big part of the equation for Saint Mary's, Browning is also expecting big things from his freshman class, which has been lauded as one of his best. Indeed, Browning said Natalie Loos, Sarah Reams and Jordan Shaw will all see significant playing time.

"I've been impressed and pleased with all of them," he said. "The girls we inherited [in the past] were great girls, but there is something to be said about introducing your philosophy. It takes time for that to permeate. Now, we have more of a bond. We've got the momentum. The trick now is to maintain."

The Gaels' daunting schedule should help with that. Saint Mary's will face 10 teams currently ranked in the AVCA poll, including Bay Area rivals Stanford and Cal.

"We're all really excited," Lowell said. "We're trying to stay focused on this season and what it means. Obviously, we're thrilled [with last season], but we know because of that, it's going to be even harder. If all goes well, we'll have another great year."