Winona, Minn. - The No. 10 Saint Benedict volleyball team opened the SMU Cardinal Invitational with a 3-0 win over Dubuque on Friday (Oct. 4).
 
Coming off a disappointing loss to No. 3 St. Thomas earlier in the week, the Blazers (15-2) made quick work of the Spartans (8-11), getting great play across the board.
 
Offensively, the Blazers hit .421, their third best tally of the season. And on defense, they held the Spartans to a mere -.040, the second lowest for a CSB opponent all season.
 
Lexi Rinde (Minnetonka, Minn.) led the way with 12 kills and a .556 attack percentage, while Lexi Alm (Forest Lake, Minn.) added 10 while hitting .471.  As a team, the Blazers knocked down 43 on the night, the 13^th time they've topped the 40-mark in just three sets.
 
They came sprinting out of the gate in the first set, taking a 6-1 lead they would never lose. They finished the set with 15 kills, on a match-high .565 attack percentage.
 
Then in the third, they were even better in closing out the win. The Blazers closed the set – and match – with five consecutive kills for the win, finishing with 17 in the set.
.
Taya Kockelman dished out 35 assists, while the defense racked up 37 digs and 14 block assists in holding down the Spartan attack.
 
The Blazers will return to play at the SMU Cardinal Invite tomorrow (Oct. 5), with two matches, first against Central (Iowa) at 11 a.m., before closing the weekend with UW-Eau Claire at 3 p.m.