ST. JOSEPH, Minn. -- The College of Saint Benedict volleyball team (7-10, 3-2 MIAC), which has won four of its past six matches, is continuing a three-game homestand as the Bennies host Hamline (8-14, 1-5 MIAC) on Friday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m., and (RV) Gustavus Adolphus (15-9, 6-0 MIAC) on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 5 p.m., at Claire Lynch Hall.

CSB (7-10, 3-2 MIAC) has achieved seven wins in its17 matches, including a home win against No. 18 Northwestern (13-7) and heads back into MIAC play with a 3-2 record. St. Benedict recently dropped a 3-1 decision to Bethel (16-5, 6-0 MIAC) in MIAC play on the road on Oct. 12. CSB had 3-1 wins over Macalester on Oct. 11 and College of St. Scholastica (11-13, 1-5 MIAC) on Oct. 5 to move to 3-2 in the MIAC.

As part of the weekend volleyball games, the Bennies will host a "Pink Out" on Friday and a "White Out" on Saturday in effort to raise awareness for breast cancer. The effort, coordinated through the CSB SAAC, is a continuing effort to fight a cancer which has impacted many families, both for student-athletes, staff, and others at CSB. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Series Records
In the match up with Hamline, CSB owns a 32-5 record as the teams will meet for a 38^th time. The Bennies, which has won two straight games, won in five sets, 3-2, on Oct. 20, 2023, winning 25-19, 18-25, 22-25, 25-21 and 15-10. At home against the Pipers, CSB is 15-3 with a 27-3 conference mark. In the first matchup, CSB recorded a 3-0 win on Oct. 8, 1993.

Against Gustavus Adolphus, CSB owns an 22-16 mark as the teams play for the 39^th time. CSB, which as lost five straight to the Gusties, dropped a 3-0 road decision at Gustavus on Oct. 21, 2023. In the series, the Bennies sit 13-5 at home with a 16-12 mark in conference play.

Inside look at Hamline –
The Pipers are led by first year head coach Kylee Zumach, who came to Hamline after coaching two years at her Alma Mater Buffalo HS, after two years as an assistant at Saint Mary's. The former Kansas State standout has directed Hamline to an 8-14 overall record, including 1-5 in the MIAC. The Pipers have an 11.3-to-10.6 kills/set advantage over opponents and have a 2.3-to-1.5 service aces edge while averaging 18.0 digs per set. With 2.55 kills/set, Lauren Wilborn leads Hamline with a total of 204 kills with Grace Bathurst at 2.43 kills/set and 163 total. Kaitlyn Kotek averages 6.81 assists/set with 511 overall.
 
Gustavus Notes -
Gustavus, which has opened 15-9 with a 6-0 league record, is led by 15^th-year head coach Rachelle Sherden, who has guided the Gusties to nine consecutive MIAC playoff berths and NCAA DIII berths in seven of the past eight seasons. The Gusties, which is receiving votes in the most recent AVCA national DIII poll, have a 13.7-to-12.4 kills/set edge over opponents while generating 12.4 assists, 1.5 service aces/set, 18.4 digs/set and 1.7 blocks/set. The Gusties are led by Lauren Klaith with 3.93 kills/set with 326 total, followed by Sydney Timm with 2.94 kills/set on 244 kills and .238 hitting mark. Kasie Tweet leads the MIAC with 10.49 assists/set on 839 total.

Inside Look at St. Benedict
St. Benedict, directed by 15th-year head coach Nicole Hess, has recorded a total of 871 kills on the season, averaging 12.4 kills per set for fifth in the MIAC. CSB is also ranked fifth in the MIAC in set assists at 11.33 per set while sitting third for 1.8 blocks per set. CSB is fourth in the MIAC with 123 total blocks and ranks fifth in the league in hitting at .177.

Senior setter Audrey Spolidoro, leads the team in assists with 676, leaving her second in the MIAC, while also recording 50 career double doubles. A two-time All-MIAC performer who has earned two All-MIAC Specialist of the Week honors this year, ranks sixth all-time in assists at CSB with 3,141 or a career mark of 9.02/set. She is averaging 9.66 assists per set in 2024 (29^th in DIII), just down from her career best mark of 10.15/set when she had 1,015 in 2022. With her 9.66 assists/set she ranks second in the MIC and 29th in NCAA DIII. She is also 50^th in total assists in DIII.
This weekend, Spolidoro is on target to becomes the third player in school history to attain 3,000/assists and 1,000 digs. She has 3,141 assists and 986 career digs. She will join former standouts Beth Hanson (2006-09 - 5,098A/1,308D) and Taya Kockeman (20-11-2014 - 4,577A/1,066D) in the assists/dig 3K/1K club. This year she is second on the team with 234 digs or 3.34 per set.

At the net, Saint Benedict is led by sophomore, Kali Jones, who has recorded 213 kills on the season (8th in MIAC) with 156 digs, and 24 serve aces. Jones is averaging 3.04 kills per set and has totaled 674 attacks with a .136 hitting mark. She has 18 double doubles in her career with 10 this season. With 219 digs she ranks third in the team and has a per set mark of 3.00 digs.

McKenna Moehrle, a sophomore middle blocker, is hitting .299 with 180 kills on 452 attacks, or 2.57 kills/set. She also has 49 blocks or 0.72 per set. Eleven times, she has reached double digits and has 15 kills in a game four times.

Mackenzie Knofczynski is averaging 0.93 blocks per set for first in the MIAC and her 65 total blocks is second in the MIAC.  She has totaled 164 kills or 2.34/set with 432 attacks and a .218 hitting mark.

Chaeli Haupert ranks first on CSB with 274 digs or 3.96/set. She also has 19 service aces.
 
Hess leads CSB Volleyball
In 14 seasons, head coach Nicole Hess, who is coaching her 15^th season, has had tremendous success. She was inducted into the St. Olaf Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015 and has coached 12 All-Americans, 75 All-Central Region players, 34 All-MIAC athletes and 49 athletes who earned Academic All-MIAC honors. She is 264-139 overall at CSB and 105-43 in MIAC play. In her 21 seasons overall as a head coach, Hess is 328-271 overall and 120-105 in conference play. She recorded her 300th win with a 3-0 win over Macalester on Oct. 7, 2022. Hess led CSB to a national tournament berth each year from 2011-15, including a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2012, and made it back to the NCAA Tournament each year from 2017-19 with a 26-8 record and another Sweet 16 trip in 2018 and a 26-6 record and an Elite 8 appearance in 2019. She has won 18 or more games in nine of her 14 seasons, including four seasons with 21 wins or more. After a 12-13 finish in 2016, CSB went 19-9 in 2017 before reaching the 20-win milestone for the fourth time in her career in 2018.