Interview with Bri Schmiesing | Recognizing coach Hess before the game

ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – After being on the road for the past nine matches, the College of Saint Benedict volleyball team gave its fans a show Friday night.
 
The Blazers came back from a first-set loss to defeat Bethel University – which was picked to win the MIAC in the league's preseason poll – 3-2 in Claire Lynch Hall. Friday marked the first time CSB has played at home since it swept Morris on Sept. 8. CSB won 19-25, 25-20, 25-20, 15-25 and 15-10.
 
The win pushes CSB's win streak to eight matches and puts the Blazers in double-digit wins with a 10-4 overall record. The Blazers also stayed perfect in MIAC play at 3-0. The Royals are now 11-6 overall and 1-2 in the conference.
 
After a back-and-forth start to the match, the Royals pulled away for a 17-9 lead. CSB fought back with kills from Lauren Mathews and Laura Schmitt, but Bethel held on for the 25-19 win. In set two it was the Blazers who used an early run to pull away. Mary Franz had a pair of kills to help put the Blazers up 9-3, and Meghan Koop and Mathews had kills down the stretch for the Blazers, who won the set 25-20.
 
Bethel took an early led in set three, but kills from Koop, Franz and Briana Schmiesing swung the momentum towards CSB, and two kills each from Schmiesing and Franz gave CSB some breathing room at 21-17. The Royals made things interesting, but Franz had a late kills and the Blazers used a Bethel attack error to hang on for the win.
 
The Royals came out strong in the fourth set and never let up, holding CSB to just seven kills in the set. Bethels' win forced a fifth set, and CSB used strong serving from Mathews and Megan Barta, along with three straight kills by Schmiesing, to pull away early and hold on for the 15-10 win.
 
Schmiesing finished with a career-high 13 kills for CSB, which had 62 total kills. Schmitt led the team with 18 kills and 24 digs. Franz finished with 12 kills and six total blocks, and Barta recorded a career-high 29 digs to lead the CSB defense. Megan Pekarek finished with 47 assists and 16 digs for CSB.
 
Tina Hoppe and Tegan LaBerge paced Bethel with 17 kills each and Carlee Hoppe added 12 kills and 19 digs. Kali Johnson finished with 31 digs and Katie Lubben had 31 assists.
 
CSB is on the road again Friday and Saturday, Oct. 2-3, when it takes on Saint Mary's and St. Olaf in a pair of MIAC matches.