ST JOSEPH, Minn. – After three straight wins, the College of Saint Benedict volleyball team will face three NCAA DIII nationally ranked opponents at the UW- Whitewater Tournament on September 15-16 in Whitewater, Wis.  On Sept. 15, the Bennies will face host and No. 10 UW-Whitewater and No. 7 Washington University in St. Louis. On September 16, they will be matched up against No. 3 University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. 
 
The tournament will take place in two arenas at UW-Whitewater, including the Russell Arena and Kachel Arena.
 
Tournament Schedule

• CSB (6-2) will face host No. 10 UW-Whitewater (6-1) at 4 p.m., on Friday, Sept. 15 in Russell Arena. Click here for live stats and live video.
• At 7 p.m., Sept. 15, the Bennies will face No. 7 Washington University in St. Louis (6-1) at Kachel Arena. Click here for live video.
• CSB faces No. 3 University Wisconsin-Oshkosh (10-0) at 1 p.m. on September 16 at Kachel Arena. Click here for live video.

Coming Up
During the Inauguration Week of President Brian Bruess of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University on Sept. 18-24, the CSB volleyball team will host Augsburg in MIAC play on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m., at Claire Lynch Hall. The Inauguration of President Bruess will be held at 2 p.m., on Sept. 22 at the Abbey and University Church at Saint John's University.
 
Series Records 
Against UW- Whitewater, CSB has a 2-5 record, falling to the Warhawks both in 2000 and 2008. CSB has an 0-8 record against Washington University in St. Louis as the Bennies lost in 2021, 3-0, and 2022 by a 3-1 score. The series began in 1993 with Washington University winning, 3-0, in St. Joseph, Minn. Against, UW-Oshkosh CSB has a 1-5 record, including dropping a 3-2 decision in 2016 in Atlanta, Ga.
 
Opponent Breakdown 
 
No 10. UW-Whitewater (6-1)
The Warhawks will be led by coach Stacy Boudreau, who is in her 19th season. UW-Whitewater posted a 27-7 record, including a 7-0 WIAC record a season ago. As a team, the 2023 squad has 287 kills or 12.5/set, hit at a .238 mark, and total 2.7 service aces/set. In addition, they have averaged 13.6 digs/set and 2.7 blocks/set. UW-Whitewater is led by outside hitter Jenna Weinfurt who has totaled 101 kills (4.39 K/S) and 47 digs. Weinfurt, who is hitting .307, has recorded seven straight games with double-digit kills, including 17 vs Lakeland.
 
No. 7 Washington University in St. Louis (6-1)
The Bears will be led by coach Vanessa Walby, who is in her 10th season. The Bears posted a 30-6 record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament a year ago. Among its six wins in 2023, Washington University has decisions over three ranked opponents, including No. 4 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (4-2), 3-2, and 3-1 over No. 8 Johns Hopkins (4-2). As a team, they have totaled 378 kills or 14.5/set for a .269 hitting mark. They average 1.2 service aces, 17.6 digs and 1.3 blocks per set. Washington University is led by junior outside hitter Jasmine Sells, who has totaled 118 kills (4.54 K/S) and 82 digs. She has five double doubles and double-digit kills in seven games, including a high of 23 kills on 52 attacks against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
 
No 8. UW-Oshkosh (10-0)
The Titans will be led by coach Jon Ellmann, who will begin his sixth season. The Titans posted a 31-6 overall record in 2022 and had a 1-1 record in the NCAA Tournament. Already this season, UW-Oshkosh has six 3-0 sweeps and have won every game in four or fewer sets. Through 10 games, the Titans have 492 kills or 14.47/set and a .257 hitting mark. They average 1.94 services aces, 18.38 digs and 1.85 blocks per set. UW-Oshkosh is led by Sami Perlberg who has 114 kills (3.35 K/S) and 73 digs. Six times she has double-digit kills with a pair of double doubles.
 
Previewing CSB
The College of Saint Benedict finished 3-0 at the UW-River Falls Tournament. The Bennies, which has five wins in the past six games, defeated UW-Rivers Falls and Martin Luther in 3-0 sweeps and edged past Simpson College, 3-2, for its second five-set victory in three tries in 2023. CSB has won eight straight sets entering the UW-Whitewater Tourney. As a team, the Bennies rank in the national top 10 in total team attacks (1,213) and total team blocks (66.0). Through eight games, the Bennies have recorded 368 kills for 10.8 per set and have a hitting mark of .172. CSB averages 9.3 set assists, 1.9 service aces, 15.6 digs and 1.9 blocks per set in 2023.
 
The Bennies sit 46^th in DIII in blocks per set with 1.94, a mark that is third in the conference. In addition, CSB is 28^th in DIII in team digs with 529 – a mark also third in the league. CSB is 32^nd nationally in total kills in DIII with the 368.
 
By The Numbers  
 
Junior Audrey Spolidoro is ranked 23^rd in DIII and fourth in the MIAC in total assists with 258. With 7.59 assists per game, she is seventh in the MIAC. In 2023, she has three double doubles and 26 in her career. In the eight games, she has 30 or more assists seven times with a high of 41 in the five-set win over Simpson College. In her career, she has 1,794 set assists or 8.5 per set. In addition, she has totaled 120 kills with 538 digs.
 
Sophomore middle blocker Mackenzie Knofczynski, who has a team-high four double-digit kills games, is ranked sixth in DIII and first in the MIAC in total blocks with 36. In blocks per set, she is third in the conference and 35^th in DIII. This year, she has a high of 12 kills against Simpson and four times has two or more solo blocks with five games of three or more block assists. She recorded a 1.000 hitting mark with eight kills on eight attacks in the 3-0 sweep of Martin Luther College. Knofczynski has 259 career kills (191 in 2022 and 68 in 2023) with 675 total attempts. In addition, she has registered 225 solo blocks and 74 block assists with 321 career points, including a team-best 92 this year.
 
Senior defensive specialist Mackenzie McDonald, who was named the St. Cloud Orthopedics CSB Athlete of the Week two weeks ago, has been named to the Puget Sound Premiere All Tourney and the UW-River Falls Falcon Invite All-Tourney Team. The senior defensive specialist ranks 19^th in DIII and second in the MIAC in total digs with 155 and is fourth in the MIAC in digs per set at 4.56. She has totaled 969 digs (4.21/set) and 136 assists with 70 career service aces (nine this year). McDonald has a career-high of 38 digs vs Gustavus Adolphus on April 28, 2021.

Senior outside hitter Emma Guest is having a solid year with 1.9 kills/set and 65 total kills with a .167 hitting mark and 104 digs or 3.06/set. She has a double-double this season and 13 in her career. This season she has 82 points scored and 585.5 in her career. Guest is approaching 500 career kills at 495 and averages 2.31/set in her career. She has 1,714 career attacks.
 
First-year outside hitter Kali Jones has totaled three double-digit kill games and has a double double. She recorded a team-season high of 19 kills on 51 attacks with 13 digs in the five-win set over Simpson College on Sept. 8, 2023. She twice has 14 kills and has registered a team-high 76 this year. She is averaging 2.24 kills/set which is a team high. Another first-year, right side hitter Brooke Andries, also has three double-digit kills games with a high of 14 vs Eastern University on Sept. 2, 2023.  She has 65 kills or 2.03 kills/set.

CSB led by Head Coach Nicole Hess
CSB Head Coach Nicole Hess has a career mark of 310-253, including 246-121 at Saint Ben's with a 93-39 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 more 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 246 trailing only Carol Howe-Veenstra, who was 366-150 in her career at CSB including 176-36 in the MIAC.