MOORHEAD, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict volleyball team's 2016 season came to an abrupt end with a 3-0 loss at Concordia Saturday afternoon.
 
The loss dropped CSB's overall record to 12-13 and left the team at 5-6 and in a four-way tie for sixth in the MIAC. After tiebreakers, Concordia earned the sixth and final bid into the league's postseason tournament, which starts Tuesday, Nov. 1. This marks the first time since 2000 Saint Benedict has missed the MIAC volleyball tournament.
 
Junior setter Megan Pekarek hit the 2,000-assist milestone in the loss. She had 1,995 assists coming into the match, and finished with 27 on the day.
 
Both teams went into Saturday's match knowing it needed a win to have a chance at a playoff berth, and the Cobbers (9-17, 5-6) came out hot. Concordia won the first set 25-15, then won the next two sets – which were more closely contested – 25-22 and 25-23.
 
After a close start to set one, Concordia went on a run to go up 19-13 and held on for the win. The Cobbers went up 10-4 in the second set, but Briana Schmiesing had two kills and the Cobbers had several attack errors to make it 10-8. CSB was able to get within 22-21 late on a Cobber attack error, but Concordia scored three of the next four points to win.
 
CSB led throughout much of the third and final set, including 21-19 late in the set, but the Cobbers tied the score at 22-22, and, after a kill from Pekarek, used a kill and a CSB attack error to win the set and the match.
 
Lauren Mathews finished with eight kills to lead CSB, which had 32 total kills. Pekarek had 27 assists to put her at 2,022 in her two seasons with Saint Benedict. Haley LaValle led the team with 19 digs.
 
Augsburg earned the No. 1 seed in the league's postseason tournament, followed by Gustavus, St. Thomas, Saint Mary's, Bethel and the Cobbers. The tournament starts Tuesday with semifinals Thursday and the championship match Saturday.