With the victory, Sacramento State improved to 14-4 and completed arguably its toughest week of the season, posting a 2-1 record against three teams that reached last season’s NCAA Tournament. The Hornets fell at ninth-ranked Santa Clara on Tuesday, before sweeping 25th-ranked Long Beach State at home on Thursday.

The Hornets have now won 11 of their last 13 matches and the 14-4 record is the team’s best after 18 matches in the last 11 years. In addition, Sacramento State had lost each of the last two meetings against Saint Mary’s, including a 3-1 loss in the first round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament. Sacramento State is now 6-1 at home, 4-2 on the road and 4-1 at neutral sites this season. In addition, each of the Hornets’ last six victories have now come via three-game sweeps.

Saint Mary’s dropped to 5-6 with the loss, but the team’s losses have come against tough competition, including one loss to top-ranked Nebraska, one loss at seventh-ranked Stanford and two against Long Beach State. Tonight’s match served as the home opener for Saint Mary’s as the team spent its first 10 matches away from home.

Hubbard has combined for 55 kills over her last three matches and, combined with her 11 digs in tonight’s match, now has three straight double-doubles and a team-best 10 this season. Franz’s eight kills came with just one attack error as she hit .438 (8-1-16).

The middle hitter combination of juniors Franz and Lindsay Haupt provided the Gaels fits all night, as Haupt finished with nine kills, a .421 hitting percentage (9-1-19) and three blocks. Senior Leah Klemenhagen added a career-high eight blocks (including three solos) as Sacramento State again dominated at the net with 16.0 team blocks. The Hornets, who had a season-high 19.0 team blocks Thursday against Long Beach State, entered the week ranked 16th in the nation, and will probably move up in the rankings when the NCAA stats are released on Tuesday.

Sacramento State limited Saint Mary’s to a .134 hitting percentage as the Gaels were forced into 26 attack errors in 149 total attempts. Taylor Groess led the Gaels with 13 kills, and Christina Kirk added 10 kills. Saint Mary’s largest lead of the night was four points (12-8) midway through the first game.

Senior Krisin Lutes (team-best 21 digs) led a Sacramento State defense which tallied 58 digs compared to 50 for Saint Mary’s. Sacramento State junior Jennifer Ferugson had eight kills and freshman Anna Schoener added six kills and a .600 hitting percentage (6-0-10).

Sacramento State jumps back into conference play next week when the team welcomes both Eastern Washington (Thursday, Sept. 28, 7 p.m.) and Portland State (Saturday, Sept. 30, 7 p.m.) to the Hornets Nest. Sacramento State, Portland State and Eastern Washington, respectively, finished as the top three teams in the Big Sky last season. The Hornets have faced Eastern Washington in the Big Sky Tournament championship match each of the last six years, with Sacramento State winning five of those meetings.