ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – For the first time all season, the College of Saint Benedict volleyball team gets to play in front of its home crowd in the comfort of Claire Lynch for back-to-back games this weekend. The team starts its two-match homestand Friday, Oct. 25, when it hosts Carleton at 7 p.m., then welcomes Gustavus to town at 3 p.m. Saturday.
 
About the Knights
Carleton picked up its second MIAC win of the season Wednesday, beating Hamline 3-1 behind a career-high 23 kills from Abby Loe. That win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Knights. Loe is 12th in the MIAC with 241 total kills, and setter Inger Shelton is seventh in the league in total assists.
 
About the Gusties
Gustavus – which took on Carleton Friday in Moorhead – entered the weekend on a two-game winning streak, including a sweep of Bethel on Oct. 18. The team's only MIAC losses are to Augsburg and St. Thomas. Kate Holtan leads the MIAC with 321 kills and Hailey Embacher is third in the league with 460 digs. Kaylyn Johnston and Mitaya Johnson have been splitting time at setter and have at least 329 assists each, and Sydney Olson and Kaikea Welsh have 58 total blocks each.
 
Last Meeting
CSB swept the Knights last season, winning 25-8, 25-6 and 25-22 in St. Joseph. Hunter Weiss and Madison Weiss combined for 12 total blocks. Gustavus, on the other hand, beat Saint Benedict twice – including 3-2 in the MIAC Championship match in St. Peter. After going down 2-0, CSB came back to win the next two sets, but the Gusties won the fifth and final set 15-13.
 
The Storyline
Saint Benedict has found success in Claire Lynch so far this season and is 5-0 on its home court. The Bennies look to continue that success this weekend with a pair of home games as the regular season winds down. This marks CSB's first two-game homestand of the season, and Saint Benedict is also at home again Saturday, Nov. 2, to wrap up the regular season.
 
Who to Watch
Junior right side Hunter Weiss made history last week, becoming the 14^th athlete in CSB volleyball history to reach the 1,000-kill milestone. Senior Emily Marso had a career day Saturday in the team's 3-1 win at St. Scholastica, recording a career-high 11 kills. Madison continues to lead all of Division III with 132 total blocks.