ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict volleyball team's MIAC opener was a back-and-forth affair Wednesday night, and though the Bennies had their chances, they fell to a scrappy Hamline squad.
 
After a first set that went to extra points, neither set was decided by more than four points the rest of the night as the Pipers won 3-1. Hamline (8-4, 1-0) won 28-26, 25-21, 22-25 and 25-21. 
 
In the first set, the two teams traded runs and leads throughout the entire set until a Hamline block tied the set at 22-22. A kill from Gabby Heying and a Piper attack error gave the Bennies (1-8, 0-1) set points, but Hamline came back to tie the set 24-24. CSB got to set point once again on a kill from Sophie Kobienia, and a few points later a Piper attack error tied the set again at 26-26. But a kill and a CSB attack error gave Hamline the win and some momentum heading into the second set.
 
Hamline used a five-point run to grab a 14-7 lead midway through the second set, but kills from Audrey Spolidoro and Kobienia stopped that run, and another two kills from Kobienia and one from Madelyn Gregory were part of a 5-1 CSB run that got the Bennies within two, 16-14. The Pipers managed to stay one point ahead of the Bennies late in the set, and closed out the second set on a 4-1 run to pick up the win.
 
The Bennies used kills from Olivia Thompson and a block from Gregory and Kobienia as part of a 5-1 run to go up 8-6 in the third set, and later used a kill from Heying and a service ace from Spolidoro to go up 15-12. The Pipers kept themselves within a point of Saint Benedict, but two kills from Heying, a service ace from Gregory and a Piper attack error put the Bennies up 23-18 late. Hamline went on a three-point run, but kills from Kobienia and McKenzie Galvin ended the set and got CSB within 2-1.
 
Hamline started the fourth set on a 9-3 run before CSB found is rhythm. Two kills each from Kobienia and Heying got the Bennies within one, 15-14, and kills from Heying and Galvin kept CSB within one. A Hamline attack error tied the set at 18-18, and a kill from Galvin made it 19-19, but Hamline went on a three-point run to pull away and ended the set – and the match – on another three-point run.
 
CSB finished with 60 kills to the Pipers' 55, but Hamline had nine total blocks to CSB's two. Heying led the Bennie offense with 14 kills and Kobienia added a career-best 13 kills. Payton Marker had a career-high 29 assists and Spolidoro added 22, and senior libero Mary Wenisch improved on her career-best with 30 digs. Marker added 23 – another career-best – Mackenzie McDonald finished with 16 digs and Spolidoro had 11.
 
Rachel Rettman led all hitters with 17 kills for Hamline, Megan Rubbelke had 44 assists and Jenna Rubbelke had 28 digs.
 
The Bennies are on the road for one more nonconference game Saturday, Sept. 25, when they take on UW-River Falls at 3 p.m. in River Falls, Wis.