Spolidoro, who posted her 53rd career double-double with 48 assists and 20 digs, played a key role in leading the Bennies to their fourth consecutive win and ninth victory in their last 11 matches. Moehrle, meanwhile, set a new career-high with 22 kills, helping her team finish the match with a 3-2 triumph (25-22, 27-25, 20-25, 22-25, 15-10). With the victory, the Bennies finished the regular season at 12-11 with an 8-3 mark for third in the MIAC.
With the win, Saint Ben's secured the No. 4 seed in the upcoming MIAC playoffs, set to begin Tuesday. The Bennies will host No. 5 seed Augsburg at 7 p.m. at Claire Lynch Hall. This victory also improved Saint Ben's record to 5-1 at home this season and extended their impressive MIAC stretch, as the team has now won 17 of its last 22 conference matches, including a 9-2 mark last year.
Spolidoro's all-around excellence continued to shine, as she contributed not only with her assists and digs, but also with a service ace, two kills, and a block. With 910 assists this season and 3,326 for her career (6th all-time at CSB), Spolidoro is now one of just three players in program history to reach both 3,000 assists and 1,000 digs. She also marked her sixth match this season with 45 or more assists. And, following the game, the two-time All-MIAC and AVCA Honorable Mention All-Region honoree was honored as part of Senior Night festivities.
Moehrle's dominant performance was another highlight, as she tallied 22 kills on 38 attempts, hitting an impressive .447. Over her last five matches, she has averaged a team-best 3.53 kills per set, bringing her season total to 67 kills on 140 attacks with a .314 hitting percentage. This match marked her 15th double-digit kill game of the season and her first 20-kill performance.
Junior
Mackenzie Knofczynski added 13 kills on 37 attempts and posted five blocks, while sophomore
Kali Jones (10 kills, 44 assists) and junior
Brooke Andries (10 kills, 34 assists) each contributed double-digit kills and helped set up a total of 64 kills, matching the team's season-high. The Bennies' offensive success was bolstered by a balanced attack, with four players finishing with 10 or more kills.
Defensively, junior
Chaeli Haupert recorded 19 digs and a service ace, while Ingrid Hoha contributed two service aces and 14 digs.
Libby Burns also made her mark with 12 digs and a service ace.
The match began with Saint Ben's taking a 1-0 lead after a 25-22 win in the opening set, where Moehrle and Knofczynski combined for seven kills. After St. Olaf tied the match in the third set with a 25-20 win, the Bennies bounced back in the fourth set with a 27-25 victory, aided by a balanced attack and clutch plays down the stretch.
The final set was a back-and-forth battle, with the Oles holding a 10-8 advantage. But Saint Ben's surged at the end, winning the final seven points to clinch the set and the match. Andries, who had four kills in the final five points, was instrumental in securing the victory for the Bennies, who hit .250 in the deciding set and converted 6-of-10 sideouts.
Saint Benedict's 64 kills in the match tied their season high and marked the fifth time this season they have totaled 60 or more kills in a single match.
