ST. JOSEPH, Minn. -- The (RV) College of Saint Benedict volleyball team (14-5, 6-0 MIAC), which has won eight of its last 10 games, hits the road for a pair of MIAC games on Oct. 20-21. CSB, which has a six-game MIAC winning streak, will travel to Hamline (4-13, 0-6 MIAC) in St. Paul, Minn., on Friday (October 20) at 7 p.m. On Saturday (October 21) the Bennies will face No. 20 Gustavus Adolphus (18-6, 6-0 MIAC) in a matchup of first-place teams in the MIAC with the game scheduled at 5 p.m., in St. Peter, Minn. 

Overall, the Bennies sit 14-5 after a 3-0 win over Minnesota Morris on Saturday (Oct. 14). CSB, which has recorded six 3-0 sweeps in 2023, received 11 kills apiece from Emma Guest and Brooke Andries while Mackenzie Knofczynski had 10 in the nonconference win over UM-Morris at the CSB Quad Tourney.  

CSB receiving votes in most recent AVCA/TARAFLEX National Poll
In the most recent AVCA/TARAFLEX national poll (Oct. 17), the College of Saint Benedict is receiving votes with 13 ballot points. Also in the MIAC, Gustavus Adolphus is ranked No. 20 (550 points). Juanita (79 first place votes and 19-0) is ranked No. 1 with UW-Oshkosh (26-0), No. 2, and Hope (16-1), No. 3. 
 
Hamline Notes
Hamline, which has a 4-13 overall record and sit 0-6 in the MIAC, recorded a 3-0 win over Lawrence on Oct. 13 in St. Paul. The program is directed by seventh-year head coach Maggie Meixl, who is 65-98 in her career. Elizabeth Lopata leads Hamline with 172 kills (2.82/set) while Julianna Boyum has collected 117 kills (1.86/set). Other individual leaders for Hamline include Kaitlyn Kotek with 540 assists (8.44/set) and Jenna Rubbelke, who has a MIAC-best 383 digs (5.98/set).
 
Hamline/CSB Series Notes
When CSB travels to Hamline, the two schools will play for the 37^th time with the Bennies holding a 31-5 advantage. CSB, which had a 15-game winning streak from Oct. 8, 1993 to Sept. 28, 2005, has won seven of the last 10 matchups, including a 3-0 win on Sept. 21, 2022. In the series with Hamline, CSB is 14-2 on the road with a 15-3 record at home and a 26-3 overall mark in conference play. In the first matchup CSB took a 3-0 win on Oct. 8, 1993.
 
Gustavus Adolphus Notes
Gustavus Adolphus, which is ranked No. 20 in the most recent AVCA/TARAFLEX DIII Poll, is led by head coach Rachelle Sherden, who is in her 14^th season with the Gusties. Named MIAC Coach of the Year in 2022, she led the Gusties to the MIAC regular season and playoff titles as GAC earned its sixth NCAA playoff berth. Gustavus ranks second in the MIAC in kills per set at 12.71 (league-high 1,131) and sit second in the league with a .206 hitting mark. They lead the MIAC with 1,661 digs (18.66/set) and have 156 blocks (1.75/set). Marlee Turn leads the Gusties with 299 kills (3.48/set) for fourth in the MIAC. Madi Kes is hitting .276 with 191 kills for sixth in the MIAC. Kasie Tweet has a league-high 885 set assists (9.94/set).
 
GAC/CSB Series Notes
In the all-time series between CSB and Gustavus Adolphus, the Bennies hold a 22-15 lead. The Gusties have won eight of the past 10 games, including a 3-0 decision on Nov. 3, 2022. In the first matchup, CSB took a 3-0 win on Oct. 4, 1993. CSB won nine straight games against the Gusties from Oct. 24, 2009, to Nov. 4, 2014. At home, CSB is 13-5 vs GAC while the Gusties own a 7-10 record in St. Peter, Minn. In conference play, CSB has a 16-11 series advantage.
 
Bennies' Team Notes
In the MIAC, CSB ranks third in the league with 1,156.5 points (15.84/set). CSB is fourth in hitting at .184 with 885 kills on 2,766 attacks. The Bennies sit third in kills at 12.14 per set and blocks with 126.5 (1.73/set). CSB is fifth in the MIAC with 10.84 assists per game (791 total), sixth in service aces with 144 (1.97/set) while ranking fourth with 1,250 digs (17.12/set).
 
In 2023, Mackenzie McDonald, who leads CSB and ranks fourth in the MIAC with 349 digs (4.78/set), has earned selection to the Puget Sound Premiere All-Tourney and the UW-River Falls All-Tourney Team. She has 19 service aces and 57 assists in 2023 when she has recorded double-digit digs in 18 of the 19 games. She now has 1,163 digs in her career with 163 assists and 80 service aces. 
 
Kali Jones, who has 169 kills (2.52/set) and 572 attacks while recording five double doubles, was named to the UW-River Falls All Tourney Team. Jones has 11 service aces, 158 digs (2.36/set) and 21 total blocks as a first year outside hitter. Ten times this season, she has registered double-digit totals in kills with a high of 19 against St. Catherine on Sept. 23 and Simpson on Sept. 8.
 
Sophomore middle blocker Mackenzie Knofczynski, has recorded 171 kills (2.34/set) and is hitting a team-best .291 while registering a team-high 67 blocks (0.92/set).  She was named to the UW-Whitewater All-Tourney Team. Nine times this season (16/career), she has recorded double-digit kills totals with a high of 15 vs nationally-ranked Washington U.  In her career, she has 362 kills (2.10/set) and a .281 hitting mark. She also has 130 career blocks.
 
First-year right-side hitter Brooke Andries, who has eight double-figure kills totals, has 142 kills (2.03/set) on a .239 hitting percentage. She has a high of 14 kills against Eastern on Sept. 2, 2023.
 
Senior Paige Andries has recorded 109 kills (1.58/set) with 317 attacks and a .221 hitting mark. She has 22 digs, and 46 total blocks. Six times in her career, including twice in 2023, she has recorded double-digit kills with a high of 15 vs. St. Catherine on Oct. 26, 2022, and Concordia-Moorhead on Oct. 29, 2022. In her career, she has 250 kills (1.68/set) with a .215 hitting mark. Additionally, she has 72 total blocks.  
 
Emma Guest, a senior outside hitter, has registered double doubles in four of the past seven games and now has 17 in her career. She leads CSB with 191 kills (2.62/set, 14^th in the MIAC) on 633 attacks and is hitting .171. Guest has 33 service aces, including a high of five against St.  Scholastica on Sept 30, 2023, 221 digs and 17 total blocks. Guest has 621 career kills, 2,113 career attacks, 701 digs and 85 service aces. She has a career-best 23 kills vs Saint Mary's on Oct. 14, 2022. In her career, Guest has 27 double-digit kills totals, including eight in 2023.
 
With 9.19 assists per set, junior setter Audrey Spolidoro ranks third in the MIAC and 32nd in DIII. Her total of 678 assists is fourth highest in the MIAC and 28th in DIII. She has eight double doubles this season and 33 career double doubles. In her career, Spolidoro has totaled 2,214 career set assists as she continues to move closer to the program's top 10 in the category. With 30 more set assists, she will move into the top-10 at CSB. In program history, Spolidoro sits behind Vicki Razinger (1992-1993) and Marie Liekhus (1998, 2000-01), who are tied for ninth with 2,243. Lynn Gustafson (1989-91) sits eighth with 2,262 and Katie Koch (2017-21) is seventh at 2,789. Sixteen times this season, Spolidoro has 30 or more set assists.  Spolidoro, who set a career-high with 62 set assists against nationally-ranked Washington U on Sept. 15, 2023, has 140 kills with 55 service aces, and 58 total blocks.
 
Spolidoro/Guest earn MIAC Athlete of the Week honors Sept. 29-30
After the two CSB wins Sept. 29-30, Spolidoro and Guest of the College of Saint Benedict volleyball team earned Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Athlete of the Week honors. Guest was named the MIAC Offensive Player of the Week while Spolidoro was the Specialty Player of the Week. The dual honor of CSB players by the MIAC was the first since Katie Koch (setter/libero) and Hunter Weiss (hitter of the week) were named on Sept. 3, 2019. For Spolidoro, it was her second honor in three weeks and Guest earned her first-ever award from the league. 
 
CSB is led by HC Nicole Hess
CSB head coach Nicole Hess has a career mark of 318-256, including 254-123 at Saint Ben's with a 99-39 MIAC record. With Hess at the helm, CSB has won 20 or more games five times with a best of 29 in 2012. In that period, CSB has finished third or better in the MIAC seven times, including second four times. In program history, the Bennies have 21 seasons of 20 wins or more and 16 seasons of at least 25 wins (30 wins three times). She ranks second all-time in wins at CSB with her 254 trailing only Carol Howe-Veenstra, who was 366-150 in her career at CSB including 176-36 in the MIAC.