CHICAGO, Ill. – Junior outside Gabby Heying had a career day for the College of Saint Benedict volleyball team Saturday afternoon, and it very nearly led to an upset of the seventh-ranked team in Division III.
 
Heying recorded a career-best 24 kills and the Bennies took Hope to five sets before falling 3-2. All five sets were close as Hope won 21-25, 25-20, 25-20, 20-25 and 15-7. Hope improves to 3-0, while the Bennies head back to St. Joseph 0-3 heading into the team's first home match of the season Wednesday.
 
Saturday's first set was close to start, but Heying, Sophie Kobienia and Emmie Gumaelius had kills to put the Bennies up 14-11, and a pair of service aces from Audrey Spolidoro and two kills from Heying were part of a 6-0 run to make it 20-13 in favor of CSB. Hope tried to get back in it, but the Bennies held on for the win.
 
In sets two and three it was Hope that used several short runs to pull away for identical 25-20 wins, but in set four the momentum swung back to the Bennies. Hope led 11-9, but a pair of kills from Heying sparked a 5-0 run to make it 14-11, and two more kills from Heying helped CSB end the set on a 4-0 run.
 
Set five, however, was all Hope, as it took a 5-2 lead, and then used a 5-0 run mid-set to seal the win.
 
Heying's 24 kills paced the Bennies, who had 54 total kills and hit .152. Kobienia added 10 kills and Olivia Thompson and Madelyn Gregory each added seven. Payton Marker finished with 23 assists and Spolidoro added 16 assists, eight digs and three service aces. Mary Wenisch had a team-best 17 digs and Marker and Mackenzie McDonald both added 13.
 
Saint Benedict is at home for the first time in 2021 Wednesday, Sept. 8, when it hosts UW-Eau Claire at 7 p.m. in Claire Lynch. Fans are welcome, but per campus policy all fans must wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status.