College of Saint Benedict

The College of Saint Benedict volleyball team has long been a force to contend with in the MIAC – and at the Division III level – and the 1990 volleyball team helped start that reign of dominance.

After a pair of MIAC titles and two trips to the NCAA Tournament in the late 1980s, Saint Benedict – under the guidance of head coach Carol Howe-Veenstra – finished third in Division III during the 1990 season; its best performance at the national stage in program history.

Led by All-Americans Chris Muehlbauer, Amy Hagen and Lynn Gustafson, CSB finished the regular season 24-3 with a first-place finish at the team’s home invite and a third-place finish at the National Invite after a 3-1 showing.

Saint Benedict racked up a 15-1 MIAC record to win its second straight conference title and third in the last four years and earn the team’s third-ever spot in the NCAA Tournament. CSB – which avenged its only conference loss with a 3-2 victory over St. Thomas in the MIAC Championship game, went on to win the NCAA Division III Central Region Championship thanks to another win over the Tommies, this time a 3-1 victory. 

The win over St. Thomas in the region tournament sent Saint Benedict to its first appearance in the national semifinals in program history. CSB lost to eventual national champion UC-San Diego 3-1 in the semifinals, but bounced back to defeat Juniata 3-0 to secure the best finish in program history.

When all was said and done, Saint Benedict finished the year 31-4 overall, and postseason accolades rolled in. Hagen and Muehlbauer earned All-American First Team honors, while Gustafson earned a spot on the second team. Hagen – the first CSB athlete to earn three straight All-American honors – was also named MIAC Player of the Year, the second in program history. Howe-Veenstra also earned national recognition, as she won Central Region Coach of the Year honors for the second time for her role in cementing the team’s place in CSB athletics history.

Team members: Amy Hagen Simpkins, Kelli Stintzi Morash, Mary Ferhringer Krake, Chris Muehlbauer Ganley, Lynn Gustafson Schwob, Lynn Nielsen Dahlin, Cathy Eggermont Hendrickson, Missy Herbst Lage, Lexi Peichel Granberg, Nichole Heggerston Matuska, Kirky Gustavson Walter, Gina Vinck Ball, Jenni Novak Walthall, Sara Sartorius Ardren, Michelle Cacka Kosek, Paula Ebnet, Ann Silver Rahn, Ronna Kohorst Baca, Jessie Konrad Bueckers, Julie Groetsch, Head Coach: Carol Howe-Veenstra, Assistant Coach: Tony Sjogren