ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – Someone forgot to tell the College of Saint Benedict and St. Olaf volleyball teams that the fifth set only goes to 15 points.
 
After four sets that went back and forth and were all extremely close, it was only fitting that the fifth and final set lasted as long as the other four. In the end, it was CSB that held on for a 26-24 win in the final set to pick up a 3-2 MIAC win over the Oles Friday night in Claire Lynch.
 
The win puts Saint Benedict (14-8, 6-2) in a four-way tie for second place in the MIAC with three matches left in the regular season. St. Thomas leads the league with a 7-1 record, and Augsburg, Gustavus, CSB and Saint Mary's are all in second with 6-2 records.
 
CSB downed the Oles 25-15 in the first set to go up 1-0. After taking a 7-3 lead early in the second set, CSB looked to be on its way to another win before the Oles came charging back to tie the game, and then it was back and forth the rest of the set. Saint Benedict led 24-22, but St. Olaf came back and eventually used a pair of CSB attack errors to win 32-30.
 
The Oles won the third set 25-17 to take a 2-1 lead, but Saint Benedict wasn't done. Kills from Hunter Weiss and Madison Weiss helped CSB build an early lead, and the team held that lead until midway through the set when St. Olaf went on a short run to go up 17-16. Kills by Briana Schmiesing, Megan Pekarek and both Madison and Hunter Weiss pushed CSB's lead to 22-19, and Saint Benedict held on for the 25-22 win.
 
The fifth set was supposed to be the shortest of the match, but it went just as long as the other four sets. A kill from Schultz and two straight Ole attack errors put CSB up 13-10 – the first time either team had led by more than one point – and another attack error put CSB on the edge of a win.
 
But St. Olaf fought back and tied the set at 14-14, and from there it was back and forth for 10 more points. The two teams went point-for-point until a St. Olaf attack error and a service ace by Pekarek finally gave CSB the win at 26-24.
 
Hunter Weiss finished with a career-high 24 kills to lead CSB, which had 48 total kills. She hit .375 with just three errors. Lauren Mathews added 10 kills and five block assists, and Schultz and Schmiesing each had nine kills. Pekarek finished with 50 assists and 10 digs, and just missed a triple-double with eight kills. Haley LaValle had 19 digs to lead the defense and Bridget McDonald had five service aces.
 
Summer Reid and Lauren Rewers each had 22 kills for the Oles and Megan Grimes added 18. Lexi Wall finished with 67 assists and Reid and Haley Langeslag both had 23 digs.
 
CSB returns to action right away Saturday afternoon when it hosts No. 11 Gustavus at 3 p.m. The Gusties were upset 3-0 by Concordia Friday night in Moorhead.