ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict volleyball team is looking to rebound from its first loss in almost a month as it heads into its matchup against St. Kate's Saturday, Oct. 10. The Blazers fell to Carleton earlier this week by a score of 3-1 and are will be facing St. Kate's at 3 p.m. at Claire Lynch Hall as they look to continue their success in conference play. The Blazers currently sit with an overall record of 12-5 and have gone 5-1 in conference play this season.
About the Wildcats: The Wildcats have gone 10-8 so far this season and are 1-5 in conference play. They will be heading into their matchup against the Blazers trying to break a two-game losing streak and will be trying to gain more conference wins. After starting the season 4-1, the Wildcats evened out their record and have gone 3-5 in their last eight games.
Last Year: In their last matchup, the Blazers took a 3-0 win over the Wildcats on the road. They started the night with a 25-14 win and followed up with a 25-12 win in the second set. From here, the Blazers finished the night with a 25-20 win in the third set. Laura Schmitt finished the night with 11 kills and also led the defense with 18 digs.
The Storyline: After a 10-game winning streak, the Blazers dropped their first conference game of the season. They will be heading into this home game looking to rebuild their momentum and continue the success they have shown throughout this season. St. Kate's will also be heading into this game looking to gain more conference wins as they have only one conference win this season.
Who to Watch: Senior Laura Schmitt currently leads the Blazers with 249 kills and sits with 3.66 kills per set. Meghan Koop is also averaging 2.04 kills per set and leads the team with 273 digs. Lauren Mathews is also leading the team with 58 blocks as Mary Franz adds another 53 on the season. Mathews and setter Megan Pekarek are the reigning MIAC hitter and setter of the week after career performances last week.
Last Time Out: In their last match, the Blazers picked up their fifth loss of the season by a score of 3-1. In the first set, the Blazers fell by a score of 25-19. They came back in the second set and took a 25-22 win. The Knights then took the third set by a score of 25-19 and finished the night with a 25-17 win in the fourth set. Schmitt finished the night with 13 kills and led the team with 31 digs. Briana Schmiesing also totaled 13 kills and Matthews racked up six blocks.
