ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The (RV) College of Saint Benedict volleyball team (17-6, 9-1 MIAC), which has clinched second place in the MIAC, will conclude the regular season by playing a a trio of road games this weekend, including twice facing nationally ranked opponents.

CSB will face No. 3 Northwestern (23-3) at 7 p.m., on Wednesday, Nov. 1 in St. Paul, Minn. Then the Bennies will travel to St. Olaf (17-8, 6-4 MIAC) for the final MIAC regular season game at 7 p.m., on Nov. 3. On Saturday, Nov. 4, CSB steps outside of conference play for its final nonconference matchup as they will play No. 20 UW-Stevens Point (21-7) at 2 p.m., in Northfield, Minn.

CSB clinches second in MIAC
With a 9-1 record, CSB has clinched second place and a first-round bye in the MIAC Tournament. CSB will host a MIAC Playoffs semifinal matchup against the winner of the 3/6 seeded teams on Thursday, Nov. 9 at Claire Lynch Hall. The MIAC Playoffs open with first round games on Monday, Nov. 6 (hosted by higher seed) with the semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 9 (hosted by highest seeds) and the championship set for Saturday, Nov. 11 at the home site of the highest remaining seed in the tournament. The Bennies have earned a second place finish for the fourth time in the past six years. Of note, CSB was also listed in the first NCAA DIII Region IX rankings on Oct. 22.
 
CSB receiving votes in most recent AVCA/TARAFLEX National Poll 
For the third straight week in the AVCA/TARAFLEX national poll (Oct. 31), CSB has received votes, accumulating 20 on Oct. 25. Also in the MIAC, Gustavus Adolphus (22-6) is ranked No. 19 (611 points). Juniata (25-0, 2,144 points) is ranked No. 1 with UW-Oshkosh (29-0), No. 2, and Northwestern (23-3), third.  
 
Northwestern Notes 
The Eagles are directed by 20^th-year head coach Beth Wilmeth, who was named the 2016 AVCA/NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year, recognizing her as the top Division III Volleyball coach in the country. Since Wilmeth's hiring in 2004, UNW has won 15 conference championships and 11 tournament championships. At 23-3, Northwestern is 11-0 in the UMAC. They average 13.7 kills per set to just 9.8 for opponents. It is a team hitting. 282 while opponents sit at .113. Abby Glanzer leads the team with 383 kills or 4.35/set while hitting .293. Grace Strickfaden leads the offense with 592 set assists or 6.73/set.  

Northwestern/CSB Series Notes 
In the all-time series between CSB and Northwestern, the Bennies hold a 12-11 lead. In the most recent matchup, CSB dropped a 3-1 decision to Northwestern on Sept. 22, 2022. Northwestern was ranked No. 3 at the time but beat CSB 22-25, 25-16, 25-18 and 28-26. CSB has a 2-3 away record and sit 4-4 at home in this series. In the first matchup, CSB took a 3-0 win on Sept. 15, 2007. In the last 10 games, CSB is 4-6.   

St. Olaf Notes
Through 25 games, St. Olaf sits 17-8 overall with a 6-4 league mark. The Oles are directed by eighth-year head coach Emily Foster, who has a 132-75 record in her career. St. Olaf leads the MIAC in kills with 13.51/set or 1,270 in total. The Oles are hitting .218 for second in the MIAC and sit first in the conference in assists at 1,204 or 12.81 per set. Lauren Hall leads St. Olaf with 298 kills or 3.17/set while Anysia Caille has 296 kills or 3.15/set. Paige Christopherson has 517 assists (5.50/set) while Skyla Fildew has 480 assists (5.11/set).

CSB/St. Olaf Series Notes
In the series, the two teams will meet for the 54^th time with the Bennies owning a 31-22 edge. At home CSB is 18-4 and sit 8-12 in away games against the Oles. In the MIAC, CSB has a 19-10 advantage. In the last game, St. Olaf took a 3-1 win (25-23, 25-27, 25-23, 25-22) on Oct. 21, 2022. In the first matchup, the Oles recorded a 3-2 win over Oct. 11, 1993.
 
UW-Stevens Point Notes
Ranked No. 20 in NCAA DIII, UW-Stevens Point is 21-7 overall and 3-3 in the WIAC. In her sixth season at UW-SP, head coach Lyndsay Klapper has a career record of 119-48. In 2022, she led the team to the NCAA DIII Tourney, positing a win in the opening round. They had a 26-8 record a year ago and reached the WIAC Tournament title game. This is a team that has a 12.3-to-10.3 kills edge or 1,233-to-1,027 in total kills. They average 17.6 digs, 11.6 assists and 2.2 service aces per set. Ashley Kopp leads the team with 476 kills or 4.76/set while Lauren Shaw has 186 kills and 2.19/set. In assists, Grace Michalske has 939 or 9.39/set.

UW-Stevens Point – CSB Series Notes
This will be the 14^th match up between CSB and UW-Stevens Point when they play in Northfield on Saturday. In the most recent game on Nov. 16, 2019, the Bennies took a 3-2 decision (26-24, 25-14, 18-25, 23-25, 15-10). The Bennies sit 3-1 at home and 0-1 on the road against UW-SP. In the first match up, CSB took a 3-0 decision on Sept. 15, 2000.

Bennies' Team Notes 
In the MIAC, CSB ranks third in the league with 1,376.5 points (15.82/set). CSB is sixth in hitting at .180 with 1,058 kills on 3,330 attacks. The Bennies sit fourth in kills at 12.16 per set and blocks with 151.5 (1.74/set). CSB is sixth in the MIAC with 10.74 assists per game (934 total), fifth in service aces with 177 (2.03/set) while ranking fourth with 1,516 digs (17.43/set). 
  
In 2023, first-year outside hitter Kali Jones has 215 kills (2.65/set) and 712 attacks while recording six double doubles. Named to the UW-River Falls All Tourney Team, Jones has 20 service aces, 190 digs (2.35/set) and 23 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 201 kills (2.31/set) and owns a hitting percentage of .251 while registering a team-high 82 blocks (0.94/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 392 kills (2.11/set) and a .249 hitting mark. She also has 141 career blocks. 
  
First-year right-side hitter Brooke Andries, who has eight double-figure kills totals, has 163 kills (1.96/set) on a .222 hitting percentage with 41 blocks. She has a high of 14 kills against Eastern on Sept. 2, 2023. 
  
Senior Paige Andries has recorded 134 kills (1.61/set) with 381 attacks and a .234 hitting mark. She has 30 digs, and 55 total blocks. Eight times in her career, including three times 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 275 kills (1.69/set) with a .222 hitting mark. Additionally, she has 81 total blocks.
  
Emma Guest, a senior outside hitter, has registered double doubles seven times this year and 20 in her career. She leads CSB with 223 kills (2.56/set, 16^th in the MIAC) on 757 attacks and is hitting .157. Guest ranks 10^th in the MIAC with 39 service aces, including a high of five against St. Scholastica on Sept 30, 2023. She has totaled 275 digs, including reaching double-digits 14 times, and 18 total blocks. Guest has 653 career kills (2.45/set), 2,237 career attacks, 755 digs and 91 service aces. She has a career-best 23 kills vs Saint Mary's on Oct. 14, 2022. In her career, Guest has 28 double-digit kills totals, including nine in 2023. 
 
With 9.22 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 34th in DIII. She has 13 double doubles this season and 36 career double doubles. In terms of digs, she has 261 this year and 715 in her career. Thirteen times in 2023, she has double-digit digs. With 2,338 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 153 kills with 60 service aces, and 66 total blocks in her career. Sixteen times this season she has 30 or more set assists and surpassed 40 four times.
  
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 321-257, including 257-124 at Saint Ben's with a 102-40 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 eight times, including second five times including in 2023. 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).Hess ranks second all-time in wins at CSB with her 257 trailing only Carol Howe-Veenstra, who was 366-150 in her career at CSB including 176-36 in the MIAC.