The St. Mary’s College of Maryland women’s volleyball team mounted a competitive challenge against undefeated United East Conference leader Gallaudet University on October 25, 2025, but dropped a 3-1 decision (23-25, 25-9, 25-20, 25-18) at the Field House in Washington, D.C. The setback left the Seahawks at 12-13 overall and 6-2 in conference play, while Gallaudet improved to 21-5 and maintained its perfect 9-0 league mark.
St. Mary’s seized an early edge by claiming the opening set 25-23, hitting .250 on 14 kills against eight errors in 40 attempts. Sophomore outside hitter Maya Mauro anchored the effort with five kills, including a pair during a decisive 6-1 run that erased a 22-20 deficit. The Bison, who entered the match averaging 2.8 blocks per set, rebounded forcefully in the second frame, limiting the visitors to a .000 hitting percentage on nine kills and nine errors while posting 12 kills of their own for a 25-9 rout.
Extended rallies defined the middle sets, where Gallaudet capitalized on late surges. In the third, the teams traded points through 20-all before the hosts scored five of the final six for a 25-20 win. The fourth followed a similar pattern, with St. Mary’s tying at 18 before consecutive Bison kills and a service ace sealed the 25-18 outcome. Gallaudet finished with a .314 hitting clip on 49 kills and just 11 errors across 121 attempts, compared to the Seahawks’ .090 on 43 kills, 31 errors and 133 total swings.
Mauro paced St. Mary’s with 15 kills, six digs and two blocks, extending her streak of double-digit kill games to seven. Freshman middle blocker Sanaa Porter posted one of her strongest outings, notching 10 kills on a .333 percentage with two blocks and no errors in 18 attacks. Fellow freshman Faith Shockley contributed six kills alongside a team-leading five blocks, bolstering a defensive front that produced 10 total stops. Setter Camilla Galeano orchestrated the offense with 20 assists and 14 digs, while libero Stella Marrero added 14 digs and three aces to disrupt Gallaudet’s rhythm from the back row.
The match highlighted St. Mary’s resilience against a squad that ranks first in the conference with a .284 hitting percentage and 2.06 blocks per set through 83 matches.. Gallaudet’s victory marked the 1,000th career kill for outside hitter Hailey Worley, who tallied 14 kills in the win.
This result keeps the Seahawks in contention for a top-four seed in the United East tournament, which features the top 10 teams in single-elimination format starting November 1, with the champion earning an NCAA Division III automatic bid. Lancaster Bible holds second at 7-1, followed by Penn State Harrisburg at 6-1 and Cairn at 6-2, per current standings. St. Mary’s defensive output of six aces and 10 blocks exceeded its season averages of 1.8 and 8.2, respectively, signaling progress under fourth-year head coach Mike Maginn, who has guided the program to back-to-back winning conference records since joining the league as a full member in 2024.
For St. Mary’s, the loss underscores a season of growth amid a rebuilding core. Mauro, a Severna Park native and Archbishop Spalding High School product, earned second-team all-conference honors as a freshman in 2024 after starting all 29 matches. Porter, a three-sport standout from Warhill High in Toano, Virginia, transitioned seamlessly as a true freshman, her .333 clip against Gallaudet topping her .185 season mark through 25 games. Shockley, a two-time All-Southern Maryland Athletic Conference selection from Leonardtown High, brings local roots to the middle, where her five blocks matched her career high.
St. Mary’s closes the regular season Tuesday, October 28, at 7 p.m. against Penn State Berks (3-18, 3-5 UE) in the O’Brien arena. The Nittany Lions, seeded 10th, rely on a balanced attack led by sophomore setter Emily DeMarino’s 6.2 assists per game, but struggle defensively at 2.1 digs per set. A win would secure the Seahawks’ third straight 7-2 or better conference finish, positioning them for a potential quarterfinal bye.
