Indianola, Iowa – The Saint Benedict volleyball had the offense in high gear tonight, (Sept. 14), dropping just a single set on their way to two wins, 3-1 over Coe, and 3-0 over host Simpson at the Simpson Invitational.
The Blazers (9-3) beat the Kohawks (5-6) for the second time this season, taking the match by set scores of 25-9, 25-14, 22-25, and 25-12. Then in the nightcap, they swept through Simspon (3-8) 25-15, 25-19, 25-13.
The Blazers first set of the night was a foreshadowing of how the evening would go, as they racked up 17 kills while hitting a blazing .394 to cruise past the Kohawks, while allowing a season low nine points. They would go on to hit .296 in their second set win, and close the match with a .348 in the forth to lock up the match victory.
For as good as the Blazers were in the first match, they were still able to ramp things up in the second, totaling just two attack errors in each set for a season low six in the match. They hit .344 and .270 in the first two sets, before topping the .400 mark in a set for the just the second time all season with a .406 to win the third and take the match.
Equally impressive was the Blazer defense, as they held Coe to just a .023 attack percentage and allowed a mere .061 to Simpson. Tonight marked the first time all season that they held back-to-back opponents under a .100 hitting percentage, and just the second and third times all year.
Sophie Stangl continued her impressive start to the season, as they Blazer sophomore led all players with 13 kills in each match, topping the 100 mark on the season for the first time. She hit a career high .481 in the first match, before blowing my the mark with her .619 in the second. In two matches, Stangl did not make a single error.
In the opening match against Coe,
Lexi Alm and
Kendra Coleman also hit double digits with 13 and 10 kills respectively.
Taya Kockelman contoured to run the offense with precision, topping 30 assists in each match, with 35 and 31 respectively, and has now posted over 30 in seven consecutive matches, and all but one this season.
MIAC digs leader
Victoria Nass was her usual self in the back row, charting 36 on the night, including 21 against Coe.
With three straight wins, the Blazers will look to extend the streak to a season high five, with two more matches tomorrow. They open with Nebraska Wesleyan at 10 a.m., before closing the Simpson Invite with Grinnell at 12:15 p.m. Then on Wednesday, they return home and return to MIAC play, hosting Hamline at 7 p.m. in Claire Lynch Hall.
