St. Joseph, Minn. - Saint Benedict powered through Hamline tonight (Sept. 19) in a 3-0 sweep. The Blazers held the Hamline Pipers to under 15 points in all three sets. They won the first set 25-10 and in the second set, held the Pipers to single digits, winning 25-8. They then finished off the match by winning the third set 25-14, to complete their domination on the night.
In the first, the Blazers (12-3, 2-0 MIAC) started out with a 7-1 lead and kept a significant edge for the rest of the set. They finished the first set with a hitting percentage of .414 and held Hamline (12-2, 0-2 MIAC) to a hitting percentage of -.067. The second set was one of the Blazers best all year, as they finished with a score of 25-8 and a team hitting percentage of .486. They also held the Pipers to an even .000 hitting percentage. In the third and final set, the Blazers finished off the Pipers in the closest set of the night with a score of 25-14.
Once again the sophomore trio of Sophie Stangl, Taya Kockelman and Alexa Rinde played great games, leading their team all night. Stangl finished with 13 kills and a hitting percentage of .619. This is the second time in less than a week that Stangl has had a hitting percentage of .619, the last time being against Simpson College in the Simpson Invitational last weekend. She also received Hitter of the Week honors in the MIAC.
Rinde also had a hitting percentage of .308 and finished with five more kills. Kockelman totaled 42 assists, topping the 40-mark for the seventh time on the season. She increased her MIAC-leading assist mark to 10.72 per set.
Also aiding in the attack, Junior Kendra Coleman finished the night with a hitting percentage of .438 and nine more kills, her second best night of the year.
After starting out 2-0 in the MIAC this season, the Blazers hit the road this weekend in hopes to beat St. Thomas who's currently ranked No. 7 in the country.
Volleyball vs. Hamline Gallery
