ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict volleyball team used big nights from a few of its first years to pick up its first MIAC win of the year, a 3-0 sweep of Macalester Wednesday night at Claire Lynch Hall.
 
First year middle blocker Ashley Trustheim led the team with 12 kills and first year libero Haley LaValle had some big plays defensively and led the team with 20 digs to help propel Saint Benedict to 25-23, 25-13 and 25-21 wins against the Scots. CSB is now 6-7 overall and 1-1 in the conference.
 
After a close start to the first set, CSB pulled away for a 17-13 lead thanks to a kill from Megan Pekarek, and later led 19-15 after a kill from Briana Schmiesing. But the Scots (5-8, 0-2) came back to tie the score at 22-22, and again at 23-23 before a kill from Trustheim and a Macalester ball handling error ended the set in CSB's favor.
 
 Set two was never close as Saint Benedict jumped to a 10-2 lead thanks in part to three kills from Trustheim and two from Liz Schultz, and CSB extended that lead to 19-9 thanks to back-to-back kills from Trustheim and a kill from Pekarek before winning 25-13.
 
Macalester stayed close throughout the third set, and took an 18-16 lead late in the set, but Schmiesing and Pekarek had kills to tie the game at 19-19, and kills from Trustheim and Pekarek ended the set and the match.
 
Trustheim led the team in kills and Schultz added eight more. Schultz also had six total blocks and Lauren Mathews finished with five. Pekarek had 34 assists and six kills, and Meghan Koop finished behind LaValle with 18 digs. CSB had 44 total kills and held Macalester to 27.