TACOMA, Wash. – With wins over Eastern University in five sets and Adrian in four sets, the College of Saint Benedict volleyball team (3-1) completed a successful performance at the Puget Sound Premiere Tournament which concluded on Saturday (Sept. 2). The Bennies finished the tournament with three wins in four games, including a five-set thriller on Saturday against Eastern, which received votes in the most recent AVCA DIII Coaches Poll.

In the first game on Saturday, the Bennies had a career-high 14 kills from first-year right side hitter Brooke Andries and rallied past Eastern (2-2) with a 3-2 win (25-16, 26-28, 15-25, 25-21, 15-4). The Bennies trailed, 2-1, but outscored Eastern, 40-25 over the final two sets to pick up the second five-set win of the season.

CSB ended the tournament with an impressive four-set victory over Adrian (1-3), 3-1 (23-25, 25-21, 25-11) as first-year outside hitter Kali Jones tied her career-best with 14 kills. She also had 14 kills in the five-set win over Pacific Lutheran on Friday to open the tournament. CSB had double-digit kills (11) from Brooke Andries, for the third straight game, and nine kills and 17 digs by senior outside hitter Emma Guest.

Andries and Jones both had outstanding performances on Saturday. Andries registered 25 kills on 54 attacks and just six errors for a .351 hitting mark. Jones finished the day with 22 kills on 71 attacks while recording two service aces, four total blocks and 17 digs in the two games.

The Bennies will now return home to host UW-Eau Claire at 7 p.m., in Claire Lynch Hall.

By the Numbers
Through four games, CSB has recorded 197 kills (10.4 kills/set) on 670 attacks for a .157 hitting mark. The Bennies have totaled 161 assists (8.5 per set) with 35 aces, 309 digs (16.3/set) and 40 total blocks. Individually, two first-year players lead in kills as both B. Andries and K. Jones have totaled 42 kills for 2.21 kills/set. Guest, who was named All-MIAC a year ago, has added 35 kills (1.84/set) and eight service aces along with 66 digs. Senior defensive specialist Mackenzie McDonald totaled 89 digs (4.68) to lead CSB. Sophomore middle blocker Mackenzie Knofczynski recorded 34 kills, a .200 hitting mark and a team-high 19 total blocks. With her 62 set assists this weekend, junior All-MIAC setter Audrey Spolidoro surpassed 1,600 in her career and sits at 1,669. She also had a pair of double-doubles and has 25 in her career.

Game 3 - CSB 3 Eastern 2
Led by B. Andries with a career-high 14 kills, CSB rallied past Eastern (2-1) with a 3-2 win (25-16, 26-28, 15-25, 25-21, 15-4) at the tourney in the first game on Saturday (Sept. 2).

After trailing 2-1 in sets, the Bennies responded with a 25-21 win in set four and dominated with a 15-4 decision in the final set to earn an impressive come-from-behind victory.

Already this season, the Bennies have played three five-set games and won two of those contests. Today, B. Andries shined for CSB with her career-best 14 kills with just three errors on 28 attacks for a team-best .393 hitting mark. Andries scored 17 points while also recording a block solo and four block assists.

CSB had double-digit kills for a second straight game from Knofczynski, who had 10 kills on 27 attacks and a .148 hitting mark. She added a solo block and five block assists. Guest had nine kills on 42 attacks while adding two service aces and 18 digs. McDonald had a team-best 27 digs, which is her high for the season.

Also, for the Bennies, Spolidoro had a season-best 38 set assists with six digs and three kills.  

In the opening set, CSB hit .188 with 10 kills on 32 attacks as the Bennies earned a 25-16 win. Seven CSB players had kills, led by B. Andries with three. With back-to-back kills from Jones and Spolidoro, the Bennies took an 11-3 lead. A kill from Paige Andries gave CSB an 18-12 lead. CSB closed the set with a kill from Guest and a service ace to go up, 1-0.

Eastern bounced back to take the next two sets. In set two, they rallied from down 16-11 to win, 28-26. The Bennies had nine kills in 46 attacks but had 10 errors. Eastern hit .133 with 13 kills on 45 attacks to tie the match at 1-1. Then, Eastern hit a game-high .345 with 15 kills on 29 attacks to record a 25-15 win in set three. The Bennies hit just .107 with seven kills on 28 attacks in that third set.

In set four, the Bennies rallied from a 20-16 deficit with a closing run of 9-1 to record a 25-21 win and force a fifth set. Down four, Knofczynski, Olivia Thompson and P. Andries had kills to draw even at 20-20. Jones ended the set with a kill to lead the Bennies. In the set win, CSB improved its hitting, recording a mark of .244 with 17 kills on 45 attacks and six errors.  

In the final set, CSB took control from the outset. After jumping ahead 4-2, the Bennies had a 6-0 run as Jones, Knofcznski and B. Andries converted kills to give CSB a commanding 10-2 lead. Thompson's kill at match point gave CSB a 15-4 win. In the final set, CSB had its best hitting mark of the game at .302 with nine kills on 20 attacks (three errors).

Game 4 - CSB 3 Adrian 1
Jones tied her career high with 14 kills while B. Andries supplied 11 and Guest contributed nine as the Bennies rolled to a 3-1 win (23-25, 25-21, 25-20, 25-11) over Adrian to conclude play at the tournament.  

For the first time in the tournament, CSB did not play five sets as the Bennies used a 60-to-51 points and 46-37 kills advantage to win it in four sets. In this game, CSB had eight service aces, five blocks, a 43-to-32 edge in assists and 79-to-69 advantage in digs. After dropping a closely contested opening set, CSB, which hit .164 in the game (46K-21E-152A), won three straight sets to earn its second straight match victory.

In the opening set, both teams hit .120 but a late rally by Adrian, which including five straight points for a 23-21 lead, helped them to a 1-0 lead in a 25-23 win. CSB, which had 13 kills on 50 attacks but seven hitting errors, was led by Jones who had four kills on 11 attacks and .364 hitting mark. CSB trailed early, 8-4, but rallied with a 7-0 run to take a 12-10 lead. The Bennies led, 21-18, before Adrian rallied.

In the second set, CSB evened things up with a 25-21 set win. The Bennies, which recorded seven kills, two service aces and two blocks, opened up a 5-3 lead and extended the margin to 10-7 after a kill by Guest. Led by kills by Jones and B. Andries, the Bennies took a 17-11 advantage. After Adrian closed to 18-15, Guest again converted a kill as CSB led, 20-16.  CSB ended the set with a kill from Jones and a hitting error by Adrian to tie things up at 1-1.   

CSB jumped to a 7-4 lead and with a B. Andries kill, took a 12-8 lead in the third set. Later Guest had a kill as the Bennies pushed the lead to 15-8. Jones recorded her ninth kill of the match as CSB moved ahead, 20-15. With back-to-back kills from Guest, CSB closed the third set and moved in front 2-1. In the set, CSB had 13 kills on 41 attacks with seven errors to hit .146.

In the final set, CSB dominated from the outset and registered its best hitting performance of the match. The Bennies had 13 kills with just one error on 28 attacks for a .429 hitting mark. Adrian had six kills and six errors on 32 attacks and a .000 hitting mark. CSB opened up a 6-1 lead and after a Madelyn Gregory kill, moved in front 10-3. Guest had a pair of finishes for a 14-7 lead. Then, three straight kills by Jones pushed CSB into a 23-11 advantage. Sophia Morken's service ace ended the game at 15-11.