BOX SCORE

The College of Saint Benedict volleyball team (18-11 overall, 6-5 MIAC) defeated St. Mary's 3-1 in the MIAC Quarterfinals in Winona, MN this evening.

CSB started the first set with a 6-3 lead over St. Mary's, but the Cardinals battled back to take the lead 9-7.  The Blazers tied the score at 10, and as the teams exchanged a few points, the score was still tied at 12.  Here CSB pulled ahead, capitalizing on a 12-2 run to extend the lead to 24-14.  Although St. Mary's managed a few more points, the Blazers won 25-17.

Keeping its momentum, Saint Benedict jumped to a 7-3 lead.  The teams exchanged point for point until the score was 14-10, but the Cardinals couldn't gain any ground.  The Blazers strung togehter an 11-6 run to win 25-16.

St. Mary's dominated the third set, jumping to a 13-4 lead over CSB.  The Blazers struggled to get kills, totaling only a .071 hitting percentage in that set while the Cardinals hit an impressive .424.  St. Mary's went on to win 25-12.

The final set began with a tied score at five before CSB began to push ahead to a 13-8 lead.  St. Mary's kept pushing, bringing the score within three points at 17-14.  The Blazers compiled an 8-1 run to win 25-15.

Leading the Blazers was senior middle blocker Calleigh Brown (Buffalo, MN, Buffalo), who had 17 kills with only one error for a stunning .471 hitting percentage.  Senior right side hitter Kayli Schumacher (East Grand Forks, MN, Sacred Heart) added 14 kills.  Senior libero Amber Wortz (Fairfax, MN, Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop) totaled 17 digs, while first-year setter Kathyrn Gaydos (Savage, MN, Prior Lake) contributed 42 set assists.  The Cardinals were led by Sarah Gardner who had 19 kills.

The Blazers head to the MIAC Semifinals, where they take on St. Olaf in Northfield, MN on Thur., Nov. 4 at 7 p.m.  The winner plays the St. Thomas/Concordia winner in the Championship on Sat., Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. at the highest remaining seed.