ST. JOSEPH, MINN. -- The College of Saint Benedict Volleyball Team (14-9, 6-3 MIAC, 2nd) will travel to face St. Catherine University (15-7, 6-3 MIAC, T-2nd) in St. Paul, Minn., on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 7 pm. It will be a match up involving two of the four teams tied for second place in a bunched up MIAC standings. Tied with CSB and St. Catherine is Bethel and St. Olaf, also at 6-3. 
 

After playing St. Catherine, CSB returns home and wraps up the regular season by hosting Concordia College (7-15, 3-6 MIAC, 9th) in MIAC action at 5 pm Saturday, Oct. 29 at Claire Lynch Hall. The MIAC tournament quarterfinals begin on Tuesday, Nov. 1.
  

The Bennies, which has won five of its last seven matches, is one of seven teams listed in first of the NCAA DIII regional rankings (region IX) released last week.  CSB will look to end a two-match losing streak as they face St. Catherine. 
 
To follow the St. Catherine-CSB match, click here for live stats and live video. 
 
CSB ranks first in assists and second in kills in MIAC 

The Bennies, which rank fifth in the MIAC with a .175 hitting mark, is second in kills per set at 13.25 with 1,073 kills, a total that ranks third-best. Led by Audrey Spolidoro (1,379 career assists) with 858 set assists and a league best 10.09.set, CSB ranks first with 1,001 assists or a team average of 12.4 per set. The Bennies also lead the MIAC with 1,622 digs or 20.0/set. Senior All-MIAC outside hitter Gabby Heying is fifth in the league with 3.52 kills/set and her total of 299 has her at 904 in her career. Heying's season total of 299 is the best of her career as she had 294 in 2019. Heying ranks fifth in the league with 333 points or 3.92 per set. The senior standout has 25 career double doubles, and 53 matches with double-digit kills, including 20 in 2022. Junior Emma Guest is sixth in the league with 312 points as she has 272 kills this season, which is a career-high for a season. She has registered eight double doubles this season. First-year standout Chaeli Haupert ranks second in the MIAC with 0.42 service aces per set and has 36 in 85 sets this year.  
 

With 14 wins this year, Bennies have clinched their 11th winning season since 2010.  
 
Quick Look at St. Catherine University 
St. Catherine, which is 15-7 overall and 6-3 in conference play, recently defeated #20 Augsburg University, 3-2; College of St. Scholastica, 3-1; and won against Bethel University, 3-0. In the MIAC, St. Catherine ranks seventh in hitting percentage at .172 with 987 kills on 3,320 attacks in 93 sets. An outstanding serving team, they rank second in the MIAC with 176 service aces or 2.10/set. In addition, they are 10th in digs with 1,265 or 15.06.  A player to watch is Lexie Petrick who is serving .43 with 35 serving aces. Madison Fagan has 66 blocks or 0.81 set. 
 
Series Notes – CSB leads  
In the all-time series, Saint Benedict owns a 29-1 series lead over St. Catherine with five straight wins, including a 3-0 decision on Oct. 29, 2021. From Oct. 11, 2011, to Oct. 29, 2021, In the first match up on Oct. 13, 1993, Bennies took a 3-0 win against St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minn. It was the first of 24 straight wins before St. Catherine took a 3-2 decision (19-26, 21-25, 25-14, 25-15, 13-15) decision in St. Joseph. 
 
Quick Look at Concordia College  
Concordia College, which is 7-15 overall and ranks in the MIAC with a 3-6 record in conference play, has won two straight matches, including a 3-0 sweep to Saint Mary's University on Oct. 15. They won against Crown College, 3-1 on Oct. 18. In the MIAC, Concordia ranks 11th in hitting percentage at .139 with 926 kills on 2,932 attacks in 63 sets. In blocking, the Cobbers rank sixth in the MIAC with 109.0 total or 1.33/set. A player to watch is outside hitter Anna Brakke who has 203 kills or 2.51/set in 79 sets. Concordia is ninth in assists with 10.41/set, rank ninth in kills with 11.75/set and sixth in blocks with 1.33/set. 
  

Series Notes vs Concordia 
In the all-time series, Saint Benedict owns a 29-21 series lead over Concordia. In home match ups, CSB is 19-7 and sit 18-9 in MIAC contests against Concordia. In the last meeting, CSB took a 3-1 loss on Oct. 30, 2021, but won the first match up, 3-0, on Sept. 22, 1993.  
 
Head Coach Nicole Hess has 303 career wins

In her 13th season, Head Coach Nicole Hess has led CSB to a 14-9record and 6-3in the MIAC for second place. Hess, who was inducted into the St. Olaf Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015 – has coached 12 All-Americans, 75 All-Central Region players, 28 All-MIAC athletes and 31 athletes who earned Academic All-MIAC honors. She is 239-114 overall at CSB and 93-37 in MIAC play.  
 
In her 19 seasons overall as a head coach, Hess is 303-246 overall and 108-99 in conference play. On Sept. 6, 2003, she registered her first victory against UW-Stevens Points. Her 100th victory was at CSB against Gustavus Adolphus on Nov. 1 and her 200 victories came on Sept. 17, 2016, against Buena Vista University. She recorded her 300th win on Oct. 7, 2022, against Macalester College. Hess led CSB to a national tournament berth each year from 2011-15, including a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2012, and made it back to the NCAA Tournament each year from 2017-19 with a 26-8 record and another Sweet 16 trip in 2018 and a 26-6 record and an Elite 8 appearance in 2019. She has won 18 or more games in nine of her 12 seasons, including four seasons with 21 wins or more. After a 12-13 finish in 2016, CSB went 19-9 in 2017 before reaching the 20-win milestone for the fourth time in her career in 2018. CSB finished 18-10 overall and third in the MIAC in 2015, and in 2014 Hess helped CSB finished 21-10 overall while picking up the 100th win of her CSB coaching career.  
 
Hess came to CSB in 2009 from St. Catherine where she was the head coach from 2003-09. She inherited a rebuilding Wildcat program and made great progress in her seven seasons there. During her last two seasons, the Wildcats won more than 10 games for the first time since 1996. She won MIAC Coach of the Year honors in 2009. As a collegiate player, Hess achieved success as a four-time All-MIAC honoree at St. Olaf College. She was a three-time member of the All-Region team and in 2001 was selected to the AVCA All-America second team. Hess holds school records in career kills (2,041), career hitting percentage (.352), and hitting percentage in a season (.392). She is in the top 10 in St. Olaf history