ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – No. 4 seeded College of Saint Benedict volleyball team (13-11), which has won five straight games and 10 of its last 12, will travel to face top-seeded and (RV) Gustavus Adolphus (20-9) in the MIAC Playoff Semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m., in Saint Peter Minn.

The CSB/Gustavus winner advances to the MIAC Playoff Championship at 7 p.m., on Saturday, Nov. 16 at the site of the highest seed. In the other semifinal Thursday, No. 3 seeded Bethel travels to face St. Catherine.

On Tuesday (Nov. 12), the Bennies had double doubles from Kali Jones (15K/20D) and Audrey Spolidoro (37A/23D) in a dramatic 3-2 win over No. 5 Augsburg at Claire Lynch Hall. The Bennies captured the win by scores of 28-26, 8-25, 25-23, 13-25, 16-14. After facing a match point at 14-13, CSB scored three straight points to advance to the league semifinals.

Per league policy, admission will be charged for the MIAC playoffs. Tickets are $12 for adults and $3 for students with an ID. Children five and under will be admitted for free. MIAC passes will be accepted but no other passes will be honored.Tickets are available through Hometown Ticketing by clicking here https://miac.hometownticketing.com/embed/all.

Schedule – Quarterfinals – Tuesday, Nov. 12
No. 3 Bethel 3 No. 6 St. Olaf 1
No. 4 CSB 3 No. 5 Augsburg 2

Semifinals – Thursday, Nov. 14
No. 4 St. Ben's at No. 1 Gustavus
No. 3 Bethel at No. 2 St. Catherine

Championship – Saturday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m.
High-seed hosts.

All-time in the playoffs, the Bennies, directed by 15-year head coach Nicole Hess (334 career wins -  271 at CSB with 110 MIAC wins), have a 22-20 record with two tournament titles in 2009 and 2017. CSB is making its 23^rd appearance in the MIAC playoffs. The Bennies also advanced in the following years - 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.

Series Notes
The Bennies fell 3-1 (15-25, 22-25, 25-14, 14-25) to the Gusties when the two teams met on Oct. 26 at Claire Lynch Hall. The Bennies, which hold a 22-20 MIAC record all-time in tourney play, hold a 3-2 advantage in playoff matches against the Gusties all-time. CSB picked up wins over Gustavus in the 2006 semifinals, 2011 quarterfinals, and 2014 quarterfinals, while the Gusties have won the last two playoff meetings in the 2018 championship and 2022 semis. Overall, CSB is 22-17 against Gustavus, including 7-11 on the road. In the first matchup ever, the Bennies took a 3-0 win on Oct. 4, 1993.

Notes on Gustavus
Gustavus, which is receiving votes in the most recent AVCA National Poll, are the top seed in the MIAC Playoffs after posting an 11-0 record in league play and 20-9 overall. Head Coach Rachelle Sherden leads the program and is coaching her 15^th year after directing Gustavus to nine straight MIAC playoff berths since 2014 along with seven NCAA DIII tourney berths over eight seasons. This season, the Gusties have the top hitting percentage in the MIAC at .242 and lead in assists 12.92 per set and kills per set at 14.1.  With 1.81 blocks per set the Gusties rank second, just ahead of CSB at 1.74. With 18.85 digs per set, they rank third in the MIAC. Lauren Klaith is second in the MIAC with a .296 hitting mark but leads the league with 4.01 kills per set with 389 overall. Kasie Tweet leads the MIAC with 11.04 assists per set while Sophia Deyak is second in blocks at 0.98 (league-high 93 total blocks).
 
Inside Look at CSB
St. Benedict has recorded a total of 1,217 kills on the season, averaging 12.5 kills per set for fifth in the MIAC. The Bennies rank fifth in assists at 11.31 and hitting percentage at .176 but sit third with 1.74 blocks per set on 272 overall as a team. CSB is also third in the MIAC with 1.89 service aces with 97 on the season.

Earlier today, CSB had four players named to the All-MIAC team. They included senior setter Audrey Spolidoro (first team), sophomore middle blocker McKenna Moehrle (first team), sophomore outside hitter Kali Jones (honorable mention) and junior middle blocker Mackenzie Knofczynski (honorable mention).

Spolidoro, a senior from Cottage Grove, Minn., has been named All-MIAC First Team for the third straight year. She is first Bennie named to three straight All-MIAC teams since Hunter Weiss and Madison Weiss in 2017-19. This will be Moehrle's first All-MIAC honor. Both Knofczynski and Jones earned All-MIAC honorable mention. It is the second straight All-MIAC recognition for Knofczynski who was All-MIAC as first team selection a year ago. Jones earned her first All-MIAC honor.

For the third straight year, CSB has had two student-athletes named first-team all-conference and the total of four honorees is a first since 1998. This is the 11^th time since 2000 that St. Ben's has had three or more student-athletes earned recognition from the MIAC. CSB has had at least one student-athlete honored by the conference every year since the mid-1980s.

Seven of the 22 All-MIAC selections also received the honor in 2023. Spolidoro is one of three players who have received All-MIAC distinction for the third time, a feat achieved by 63 volleyball players in recorded conference history.

Spolidoro, a physics major, earned her third straight Al-MIAC honor. A year ago, she was named AVCA Honorable Mention All-Region. Five times in her career, including three times this year, Spolidoro has been named MIAC Specialty Player of the Week. The senior ranks second in the MIAC and 25^th in NCAA DIII with 9.76 assists per set with her 947 assists ranking second in the MIAC and 33^rd in DIII. In 24 games and 97 sets, Spolidoro has added 69 kills, 31 service aces and 324 digs or 3.34 per set. She also has 49 total blocks. Eighteen times this year and 54 times in her career, she has achieved double doubles. She has 3,412 career assists (6^th, all-time at CSB) and 1,076 digs and she is just the third CSB student-athlete to reach 3K in assists and 1K in digs. Spolidoro also has 92 career service aces and 122 total blocks with 382.5 points.

Moehrle, a sophomore exercise health science major from Eden Valley, Minn., has 16 double-digit kills games, including in nine of the past 11 games. The standout middle blocker has made a major contribution in her first season with the program. She is averaging 2.78 kills per set (11^th, MIAC) with 270 kills on 654 attacks and a .248 hitting mark, which ranks seventh in the MIAC. She is also contributing 0.68 blocks per set on 66 total blocks (15^th, MIAC). Moehrle, who set her career-best with 22 kills against St. Olaf on Nov. 9,

Jones, a sophomore elementary education major from Annandale, Minn., has been one of the top outside hitters for CSB and in the MIAC. She has recorded 291 kills on the season (8th in MIAC) and 3.0 kills per set (8^th in MIAC) with 306 digs (3.15 per set) and 40 serve aces for 0.41 per set (5th in MIAC). Jones has totaled 22 career double doubles including 14 this year. She has a career-best 20 kills against Cortland on August 31 with a high of 15 in MIAC play, which came in the MIAC quarterfinal playoff win over Augsburg on Nov. 12.  For her career, she has 530 kills or 2.77/kills per set with 521 digs or 2.73/set. Jones has 56 total blocks, including 31 in 2024. Earlier this year, she recorded a team-season-high of eight service aces against Gustavus Adolphus, a mark that is the best at CSB since 1997.

A junior nursing major from Willmar, Minn., Knofczynski was All-MIAC a year ago and also named Academic All-MIAC as well as to the CSV Academic All-District Team. With the honorable mention All-MIAC honor, the outstanding middle blocker continues to build on her resume of awards at CSB. This season, she ranks third in the MIAC in blocks at 0.95 per set and her 92 overall is second in the league. Knofczynski has 220 kills or 2.27 per set with 595 total attacks. She also has 29 assists and 16 service aces. Ten times this season, she has reached double digit kills. In her career, she has 629 kills, 1,698 attacks, 245 total blocks and 16 service aces. This season she had recorded five or more total blocks seven times with a career-best nine in the MIAC quarterfinals win over Augsburg. She has a season-high 14 kills against Augsburg on Sept. 27, 2024. Knofczynski had a career high 15 kills against Washington U on Sept. 15, 2023.