ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – In a dominating performance on Youth Night, the College of Saint Benedict volleyball team (6-9, 3-1 MIAC) triumphed over Macalester (9-10, 1-3 MIAC) with a 3-1 victory (25-13, 22-25, 25-19, 25-13) in MIAC play on Friday, October 11 at Claire Lynch Hall.
This win marked the Bennies' third consecutive victory, improving their overall record and placing them in a three-way tie for third in the MIAC alongside St. Olaf and St. Catherine. They will face off against Bethel, a co-leader in the MIAC with a perfect 4-0 record, on Saturday in St. Paul, Minn. St. Benedict, which improved to 2-0 at home, held an autograph session following the game as part of the Youth Night festivities.
CSB Highlights
Audrey Spolidoro delivered a standout performance with 39 assists and 14 digs, achieving her 48th career double-double and her 12th this season. The senior from Cottage Grove, Minnesota, climbed to sixth on CSB's all-time assists list, surpassing Megan Pekarek's previous mark of 3,052 assists. Spolidoro also contributed three service aces and four kills.
Sophomore
McKenna Moehrle led the team's offensive charge with a season-best 15 kills on 34 attempts, boasting an impressive .353 hitting percentage while also recording four block assists. Sophomore
Brooke Andries made a significant impact with 12 kills on 24 attacks, achieving a game-best .458 hitting percentage. Junior
Mackenzie Knofczynski rounded out the trio of double-digit kill contributors with 10 kills on 27 attempts, complemented by a solo block and two block assists, as the team recorded a total of seven blocks.
CSB demonstrated strong net play, racking up 57 kills on 155 attacks and a hitting percentage of .239. The team also excelled in defense, with 75 digs, including a team-high 15 from junior
Chaeli Haupert, and nine service aces throughout the match. CSB totaled seven total blocks as they had a solid defensive effort.
Set Breakdown
- First Set: The Bennies established dominance early, hitting .302 with 17 kills on 43 attacks. After taking a 15-11 lead thanks to Moehrle's kill, CSB extended their advantage to 19-11 with a combination of blocks and kills. They closed the set 25-13, highlighted by a service ace from Spolidoro.
- Second Set: The Scots fought back in a tightly contested set, winning 25-22. Despite CSB having a slight edge in kills (13 to 10), seven errors on 49 attacks hindered their momentum. A late 5-1 run from Macalester allowed them to equalize the match at one set each.
- Third Set: CSB rebounded to take the third set 25-19, hitting .231 with only four errors. After a brief deficit, the Bennies surged ahead with an 8-1 run to lead 10-6. They capitalized on Macalester's errors and an important ace from Sophia Morken to pull away and secure the set.
- Fourth Set: St. Benedict peaked in the final set, achieving a game-high hitting percentage of .333 with 17 kills on 36 attempts. They quickly built a 6-1 lead, maintaining control throughout the set in rolling to a 25-13 win.
