St. Joseph, Minn. - The Saint Benedict volleyball team collected its 23rd win of the season today (Oct. 26), sweeping the first-place Concordia Cobbers (25-18, 25-20, 25-18). They have now secured a top-four conference finish and home-court advantage in the first round of the MIAC playoffs. The win was the last home regular season game for seniors Lexi Alm (Stacy, Minn.), Kendra Coleman (Pelican Rapids, Minn.), Kathryn Gaydos (Savage, Minn.), and Chelsea Rachel (Maple Lake, Minn.).
 
The Blazers improve to 23-2 overall and 8-2 in the MIAC with the win. With the loss, the Cobbers drop to 18-8 overall and 9-1 in the MIAC.
 
The Blazers jumped out to a 7-4 lead early in the first set, helped out by back-to-back service aces from junior libero Victoria Nass (Faribault, Minn.). The Cobbers battled back to tie the set at 15-15, capped by a kill from junior right side hitter Kynndyl Ross. The Blazers then went on a 10-3 run to secure the set victory.
 
Eager to topple the first-place Cobbers, the Blazers jumped out to another early lead in the second set. After a six-point run off serves from Nass, the Blazers took a 7-2 lead, forcing the Cobbers to call a timeout. The Cobbers rallied back after the timeout, scoring seven straight points off serves by sophomore outside hitter Olivia Wangensteen to take a 10-8 lead. With a 15-14 lead later in the set, the Blazers went on a five-point run to separate themselves from the Cobbers and put themselves in position to win the set. They eventually won the second set by a 25-20 margin off a service ace from Rachel.
 
The third set was all Blazers, who hit .375 and had 18 kills en route to completing the three-set-sweep. The Blazers led by as much as 11 points multiple times, before closing out the set with a 25-18 victory. All four seniors were on the floor for the final points.
 
Alm had 13 kills in the match, bringing her career total to 1,251, just one shy of the fifth-best all-time mark in Blazer history. She also recorded her fourth-consecutive double-double and seventh in the past eight games.
 
Junior outside hitter Lexi Rinde (Minnetonka, Minn.) added 13 kills today as well, inching her career mark closer to the 1,000 career kills milestone (981).
 
Nass served up five service aces, tying her career high. Those five services tied the mark for most service aces by a Blazer this season.
 
Blazer volleyball returns to action next Tuesday (Oct. 29) when they will travel to St. Paul to play the Macalester Scots in both team's regular season finales. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.