ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – After opening 3-2, the College of Saint Benedict volleyball team will travel to compete at the UW-River Fall Tournament on Sept. 8-9.

The Bennies open play on Friday at 3 p.m., against Simpson College (2-2). On Saturday, Sept. 9, CSB faces host UW-River Falls at 1 p.m., before playing Martin Luther College at 5 p.m. 

 Quick Review -
The Bennies opened their season with a 3-1 record at the Puget Sound Premiere in Tacoma, Washington. CSB defeated Pacific Lutheran, 3-2, on Friday, Sept. 1. Later that day, they were defeated by Puget Sound in five sets, 3-2. On Saturday (Sept. 2), the Bennies bounced back for a 3-2 win over Eastern University, which had received votes in the AVCA/TARAFLEX DIII national preseason poll on August 23. CSB capped off their trip with a 3-1 win over Adrian College. On Wednesday, CSB lost the home opener to UW-Eau Claire, 3-1, including a 28-26 setback in the fourth set.

National Rankings
This season, the Bennies rank third in total team attacks with 835 and sit eighth in total team blocks with 44.0 in NCAA DIII stats. With 369 digs, CSB is fifth in DIII. Individually, Mackenzie McDonald ranks fifth in DIII with 111 digs while Mackenzie Knofczynski is eighth with 21 total blocks. With 164 set assists, Audrey Spolidoro ranks 13^th nationally.

Series Notes
Against Simpson College, the Bennies have a 24-5 record and seven straight wins. The streak of victories began on Oct. 3, 2009, and continued to the last match up between the schools on Sept. 28, 2019. CSB took a 3-0 win on that date by scores of 25-14, 25-13 and 25-13. In the first-ever matchup on Sept. 18, 1993, CSB recorded a 3-0 win. The Bennies have won nine of the past 10 contests between the schools.

Against UW-River Falls, the Bennies own an 8-2 overall record with six straight wins in the series. In the last meeting on Sept. 25, 2021, CSB recorded a 3-1 decision at River Falls. CSB has a 3-2 record in away matchups. In the very first meeting, CSB had a 3-0 win on Sept. 21, 1994.

CSB and Martin Luther College have meet just once, some 11 years ago. The Bennies recorded a 3-1 win on August 31, 2012. In that matchup at Saint Joseph, CSB had a 62-to-33 edge in kills, 12-to-1 margin in aces, and 79-to-59 margin in digs while recording 11 total blocks.

Simpson College Notes
Simpson College, which is directed by head coach Kekailoa Palea, recorded a 3-0 win over Concordia (Texas) and a 3-2 win over Schreiner in Belton, Texas last weekend at the Mary- Hardin Baylor Invite. They also lost to Mary Hardin-Baylor, 3-0 and Concordia- Moorhead, 3-0. As a team, they have averaged 11.14 kills per set and hit .112 as a team. They also record 2.0 service aces and 16.36 digs per set.

UW-River Falls Notes
On Sept. 6, UW-River Falls registered a 3-0 road sweep at Carleton College to improved 3-1 overall. In the win, they hit .218, led by Kameri Meredith with a double-double of 13 kills and 15 digs. Directed by head coach Dipen Patel, the Falcons average 12.1 kills per set with 11.1 set assists, 1.6 service aces per set as well as 2.2 blocks per set and 17.1 digs per set.

Martin Luther College Notes
Through five games, Martin Luther, directed by head coach Emma Holzhueter, is 2-3 with a 3-1 loss to Macalester on Sept. 6 in New Ulm, Minn. Martin Luther averages 9.7 kills per set, 9.1 assists per set as well as 2.2 aces, 14.9 digs and 1.2 blocks each set this year.

CSB Leaders
Senior All-MIAC outside hitter Emma Guest leads the Bennies with nine service aces and 75 digs this season. Through five games this year, Guest has 41 kills on 161 attacks for 0.17/set and a .143 hitting mark. In her career, she now has 61 service aces and 555 digs (2.73/set). Guest has played in 56 matches and 203 sets with 471 career kills (2.32/set) and 1,641 attacks.
 
Junior All-MIAC setter Audrey Spolidoro leads the team with 164 assists (13th, DIII) in the 2023 season and has 1,700 in her career. She also has eight kills, seven service aces and 61 digs (2.65/set) this year. In her career, Spolidoro has totaled 114 kills on 446 attacks for a .155 hitting mark. She has totaled 44 service aces, 515 digs (2.58/set) and 40 total blocks in her career.
 
First-year performers Kali Jones and Brooke Andries have been the team leaders in kills this season. Andries, who has three double-digit kills games, leads the Bennies with 51 or 2.2 per set. Jones, who twice has recorded a career-high 14 kills, has recorded 48 kills (2.09/set) and has 57.5 points. Andries has 51 kills on 128 attacks with 18 errors.  Andries, who is hitting .258, has a career-best of 14 kills on 28 attacks (three errors) for a .393 hitting mark (Eastern University).
 
Sophomore middle blocker Mackenzie Knofczynski has 45 kills for 1.96/set. On 119 attacks, she has a .227 hitting mark. Knofczynski has recorded 21 blocks for eighth in NCAA DIII. 
 
Senior defensive specialist Mackenzie McDonald leads CSB with 111 digs, which leads the MIAC and ranks fifth in DIII. She also is fifth in the league with 4.83 digs/set. McDonald now has surpassed 900 career digs (925) and averages 4.83/set in 58 games. She also has 67 service aces with 124 assists in her career.

CSB led by Head Coach Nicole Hess
CSB Head Coach Nicole Hess has a career mark of 307-253, including 243-121 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 243 trailing only Carol Howe-Veenstra, who was 366-150 in her career at CSB including 176-36 in the MIAC.