By Teddy Menor

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ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The Saint Benedict volleyball team is currently sitting at No. 22 in the national rankings with an overall record of 12-7. After a loss to St. Thomas last week, the Blazers have a MIAC record of 4-2 as they head into a matchup against Bethel at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, in Claire Lynch Hall.
 
About the Royals: The Royals head to St. Joseph with records that are very similar to CSB in both conference and nonconference play. They stand even with the Blazers with a 4-2 conference record, which includes a loss to Augsburg in their last game. With an overall record of 14-6, the Royals have played much better at home (6-1) than on the road (2-2). The Royals are also heading into this matchup in hopes of regaining momentum as they head into the end of their conference season.
 
Last Year: The last time these two teams played, the Blazers walked away with a 3-1 win on the road. Bethel started the night with a 25-22 win, but the Blazers fought back to tie the series with a 25-21 win in the second set. From here, the Blazers finished the night with 25-19 and 25-17 wins. Lexi Rinde led the offense with 19 kills and Sophie Stangl added another 10. Taya Kockelman also set a career high with 54 assists in this game and added another 18 digs to her team's success.
 
The Storyline: The Blazers have now lost two straight MIAC matchups after starting the season with a 4-0 conference record. They have a short break in conference play during the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Tournament this weekend. A win tonight will break the Blazers' losing streak and help them regain their momentum as they head into the end of their season. The winner of tonight's match also gets to stay in the top three in the MIAC – the Royals and Blazers are currently a part of a four-way tie for third, so a win would go a long way in helping ensure home court advantage for the MIAC tournament.
 
Who to Watch: Laura Schmitt leads the Blazers with 205 kills this season with Lexi Rinde adding another 162. Kockelman leads the MIAC with a hitting percentage of .379 and is a close second in the conference with 10.94 assists per set. She is also third in the MIAC with 0.54 service aces per set. Victoria Nass leads the defense with 350 digs this season and Mary Franz has a total of 51 blocks.
 
Last Time Out: In their last time out, the Blazers suffered a tough loss to conference rival St. Thomas. The Blazers finished the night with one set win against the No. 12 Tommies in their 1-3 loss. The Blazers took the first set by a score of 25-22 before dropping the next three sets by scores of 25-16, 25-19 and 25-20. Rinde led the offense with 13 kills and Schmitt and Bailey Rykken added another 10 each. Schmitt also led the defense with 17 digs.