ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – On Senior Night, the (RV) College of Saint Benedict volleyball team (16-6, 8-1 MIAC) will host Concordia (14-11, 5-3 MIAC) at 5 p.m., on Saturday, Oct. 28 in MIAC play at Claire Lynch Hall.
 
After the game on Saturday, CSB volleyball will celebrate the achievements of its four seniors with a Senior Night ceremony. They include Paige Andries of Marshall, Minn.; Emma Guest, Oak Grove, Minn.; Mackenzie McDonald of Lino Lakes, Minn.; and Olivia Thompson of Palm Harbor, Fla. The four seniors have led the Bennies to a 16-6 overall record and 8-1 for second in the MIAC. The Bennies opened 7-0 for the best start since 2018.
 
Andries has accumulated 170 kills on 769 attacks with 80 digs and 75 total blocks in 160 sets across 45 games in her career. Guest, who was All-MIAC a year ago, has played in 264 sets and 73 games with 642 kills and 2,205 attacks during her career, she has 89 service aces and 744 digs to go with 57 blocks. McDonald, who was named to both the Puget Sound Premiere All-Tourney Team and the UW-River Falls All-Tourney Team, has accumulated 1,193 digs in 277 sets across 75 games in her career. She also has 149 assists and 82 service aces. Thompson has played in 196 sets in 67 games with 317 kills and 1,117 attacks during her time at CSB. She has 166 digs and 25 total blocks.
 
CSB receiving votes in most recent AVCA/TARAFLEX National Poll 
For the second straight week in the AVCA/TARAFLEX national poll (Oct. 24), CSB has received votes, accumulating 14 on Oct. 25. Also in the MIAC, Gustavus Adolphus is ranked No. 20 (550 points). Juniata (22-0) is ranked No. 1 with UW-Oshkosh (28-0), No. 2, and Hope (20-1), No. 3. The Bennies were also listed in the initial NCAA DIII Region IX rankings released earlier this week.
 
Concordia Notes 
Concordia College is led by head coach Faith Radermacher, who is in her fifth season with the Cobbers. Brook Carney leads Concordia with 264 kills (2.78/set) while Mallory Leitner has collected 255 kills (2.77/set). Other individual leaders for Concordia include Kaia Lill with 931 assists (9.60/set) and Chloe Markovic, who leads the team on defense with 400 digs (4.17/set). 
 
Concordia/CSB Series Notes 
In the all-time series between CSB and Concordia, the Bennies hold a 29-22 lead. The Bennies have won seven of the past 10 games, including a 3-0 decision on Mar. 24, 2021. In the first matchup, CSB took a 3-0 win on Sept. 22, 1993. At home, CSB is 19-8 against the Cobbers, who have a 9-10 record in Moorhead, Minn. In conference play, CSB owns a 18-10 series advantage. 
  
Bennies' Team Notes 
In the MIAC, CSB ranks third in the league with 1,319.5 points (15.71/set). CSB is seventh in hitting at .176 with 1,014 kills on 3,218 attacks. The Bennies sit fourth in kills at 12.07 per set and blocks with 139.5 (1.66/set). CSB is sixth in the MIAC with 10.70 assists per game (899 total), sixth in service aces with 166 (1.98/set) while ranking fourth with 1,461 digs (17.39/set). 
  
In 2023, first-year outside hitter Kali Jones has 206 kills (2.64/set) and 690 attacks while recording six double doubles. Named to the UW-River Falls All Tourney Team, Jones has 17 service aces, 182 digs (2.33/set) and 24 total blocks. Twelve 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 195 kills (2.32/set) and owns a hitting percentage of .257 while registering a team-high 77 blocks (0.92/set).  She was named to the UW-Whitewater All-Tourney Team. Ten times this season (17/career), she has recorded double-digit kills totals with a high of 15 vs nationally ranked Washington U. In her career, she has 386 kills (2.11/set) and a .251 hitting mark. She also has 140 career blocks. 
  
First-year right-side hitter Brooke Andries, who has eight double-figure kills totals, has 154 kills (1.93/set) on a .211 hitting percentage. She has a high of 14 kills against Eastern on Sept. 2, 2023. 
  
Senior Paige Andries has recorded 129 kills (1.69/set) with 370 attacks and a .227 hitting mark. She has 30 digs, and 49 total blocks. Seven 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 270 kills (1.69/set) with a .219 hitting mark. Additionally, she has 75 total blocks.
  
Emma Guest, a senior outside hitter, has registered double doubles six times this year and 19 in her career. She leads CSB with 212 kills (2.52/set, 16^th in the MIAC) on 724 attacks and is hitting .155. Guest ranks 10^th in the MIAC with 37 service aces, including a high of five against St. Scholastica on Sept 30, 2023. She has totaled 264 digs, including reaching double-digits 13 times, and 18 total blocks. Guest has 642 career kills, 2,204 career attacks, 744 digs and 89 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 9.15 assists per set, junior setter Audrey Spolidoro ranks fourth in the MIAC and 37th in DIII. Her total of 769 assists is fourth highest in the MIAC and 30th in DIII. She has 12 double doubles this season and 36 career double doubles. With 2,305 set assists, Spolidoro has moved to eighth on the CSB all-time career chart. Spolidoro, who set a career-high with 62 set assists against nationally ranked Washington U on Sept. 15, 2023, has 149 kills with 58 service aces, and 65 total blocks in her career.
  
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 320-257, including 256-124 at Saint Ben's with a 101-40 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 256 trailing only Carol Howe-Veenstra, who was 366-150 in her career at CSB including 176-36 in the MIAC.