Banana Slugs Fall 3-1 to Open 2026 Season

Friday, September 4

St. Louis, MO

2:30 PM | 4:30 PM CT

UC Santa Cruz Athletics

0-1,0-0CAC

St. Olaf College

1-0,0-0MIAC

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
UC Santa Cruz	19	25	21	13	1
St. Olaf	25	22	25	25	3

9/4/2026 4:31:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

ST. LOUIS, Mo - UC Santa Cruz women's volleyball began their 2026 season in a 3-1 loss against St. Olaf College at the 2026 Bear Invite. After losing the first set, the Banana Slugs bounced back to claim set two, but it wasn't enough to deter the Oles in the final two sets. Riley Sawyer led the Banana Slugs with 11 kills in her collegiate debut, alongside a team-high .474 hitting percentage. Maddie Marshall and Charlotte Skulte added seven kills each, with Skulte also leading in aces (two) and blocks (two). Kate Lau led defensive efforts, collecting 15 kills to begin her senior season for the Banana Slugs. Up next, UC Santa Cruz will continue in the 2026 Bear Invite on Sept. 5 against Webster University and Wheaton College.

How It Happened
UCSC scored first on an attack error to start the game and the opening set. The two teams exchanged leads until St. Olaf College exploded on a 5-1 run to put the Banana Slugs behind at 6-10. UCSC fought back to bring the deficit within three midway through the set, but ultimately couldn't close the gap and dropped the first set 19-25.

Set two opened with another lead by UC Santa Cruz, but the Oles kept constant pressure on the Banana Slugs, taking over at 15-16 in their only lead of the set. The Banana Slugs responded and pulled away after the 17-17 tie to win the set 25-22. Skulte and Mia Ngo delivered the final kills of the set to tie the game at one set apiece.

UC Santa Cruz kept the momentum going into set three with an early 4-1 lead as they took advantage of early errors from St. Olaf College. The Banana Slugs then fell into their own run of errors in the next 3-out-of-5 plays, and quickly allowed the Oles to fight back. Clutch service aces by Miya Casci and Skulte late brought the final tie at 17-17 before St. Olaf College put a run together to close out the set at 25-21. The two teams put up a hard fought battle and forced 12 total ties in set three.

The final set started with the Banana Slugs in control, where Marshall kicked off the set with back-to-back kills. St. Olaf College took over at 5-6 and never looked back, securing the win for the Oles in a 25-13 fourth set.