Last season, the Gaels made it all the way to the state championship, but came up short in three sets against Rutgers Prep. In 2024, the Gaels returned to the state championship game, once again being against Rutgers Prep. At first, it looked like it would be Deja vu for the Gaels. They lost the first set 20-25. With two sets to play, the pressure was on Coach Decio and the Lady Gaels. Saint Mary tied it up at one with a 25-17 victory in the second set. This set up a winner taking all the third set. As they had done all season, the Gaels were resilient in the face of adversity, and pulled off a 25-19 victory in the third set to capture the state title for Non-Public B. It is the first state title for a female sports team at Saint Mary since softball won a title in 1998.
Written By Jack Rizzo