WINONA, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict volleyball team picked up its ninth straight win in dramatic fashion Friday night. The Blazers defeated Saint Mary's 3-2 in a tight MIAC match in Winona, Minn.
 
CSB won the first two sets 26-24 and 25-22. The Cardinals came back to win the next two sets 25-17 and 25-13, but the Blazers held on for a 15-13 win in the fifth and final set.
 
Saint Benedict (11-4, 4-0 MIAC) led much of the first set, and was up 22-18 late in the set. Saint Mary's tied the game at 24, but Briana Schmiesing recorded back-to-back kills to end the set in favor of CSB. Saint Benedict took an early lead in the second set, but SMU (14-3, 3-1) tied the set at 13 and took a 14-13 lead. Meghan Koop tied the game at 14 with a kill and then recorded two straight service aces to put CSB up 16-14, and the Blazers held on for the win.
 
Saint Mary's won the third and fourth sets, and the fifth and final set was close throughout. A kill by Mary Franz made it 10-8 in favor of the Blazers, but the Cardinals rattled of four straight points to take a 12-10 lead. Schmiesing recorded a kill and Gabi Narvaez had a service ace to tie the game at 12, but SMU took a 13-12 lead on a kill by Molly Urban.
 
The set ended 15-13 in favor of CSB when Lauren Mathews, Megan Pekarek and Laura Schmitt recorded back-to-back-to-back kills to secure the win.
 
Schmitt finished with a match-high 15 kills for CSB, which had 64 total kills. Mathews added 14, Franz 11 and Koop 10. Schmiesing also finished with nine kills. Pekarek had 51 assists and 15 digs, and Megan Barta led the CSB defense with 19 digs. Koop also had 15 digs.
 
Sara Lind recorded 15 kills for the Cardinals and Alex Peterson and Molly Urban both finished with 14 kills. Brittney Hanson had 31 assists and Lex Krogstad led the defense with 23 digs.
 
The Blazers return to action and look to push their winning streak to 10 matches when they travel to Northfield, Minn., to take on St. Olaf at 3 p.m. Saturday.