WAVERLY, Iowa – The College of Saint Benedict split their matches at the Wartburg Invitational on Saturday (Sept. 21), securing a five-set victory against Coe College before falling to the tournament host, Wartburg, in four sets. The Bennies concluded the weekend with a 1-2 record, bringing their overall season record to 3-8.
CSB will now shift focus to MIAC conference play, beginning with a match against Augsburg in Minneapolis on Sept. 27 at 7 p.m., followed by a home game against St. Catherine on Sept. 28 at 5 p.m. in Claire Lynch Hall.
Tournament Performance Overview:
Across the three matches, the Bennies averaged 12.14 kills per set, totaling 170 kills against their opponents' 164. CSB hit .145 on 546 total attacks. Additionally, they posted 11.86 assists per set and maintained a 2.0 service aces per set average (28 aces against opponents' 21). Defensively, the team recorded 18.93 digs per set (265 total) and 29 blocks, including eight solo.
Standout Players:
- Audrey Spolidoro (Senior, Setter): Led the offense with 10.21 assists per set, amassing 143 assists, 58 digs, and 9 kills. She notched three consecutive double-doubles, bringing her career total to 45. And, she now has moved into seventh place on CSB's career assists chart with 2,916.
- Kali Jones (Sophomore, Outside Hitter): Recorded three double-doubles, leading the team with 40 kills (2.86 per set) and adding 50 digs (5.37 per set).
- Brooke Andries (Sophomore, Outside Hitter): Tallied 28 kills and hit .207 for the tournament.
- Kate Stadum (Sophomore, Outside Hitter): Posted 23 kills, including a career-high 11 against Wartburg.
- McKenna Moehrle (Sophomore, Middle Blocker): Contributed 33 kills (2.36 per set).
- Chaeli Haupert (Junior, Defensive Specialist): Led the defense with 56 digs.
- Mackenzie Knofczynski (Junior, Middle Blocker): Averaged 1.14 blocks per set and added 27 kills.
Match 1: CSB vs. Coe College (3-2 Win)
CSB rallied from an early deficit to defeat Coe College in a thrilling five-set match (20-25, 25-14, 26-24, 19-25, 15-11). The Bennies overcame a 1-0 set disadvantage, claiming victory by taking the second and third sets and closing out the decisive fifth set.
- Key Performers:
- Brooke Andries: Had a season-high 14 kills on 28 attempts, hitting .429.
- Kali Jones: Notched her second consecutive double-double, with 17 kills and 13 digs, hitting .289.
- Audrey Spolidoro: Tallied her 44th career double-double, contributing 47 assists and 17 digs, along with two service aces and four kills.
- Mackenzie Knofczynski: Led the team with a .533 hitting percentage, adding nine kills on 15 attacks and four total blocks.
- Kate Stadum: Recorded nine kills, and McKenna Moehrle added eight.
After losing the first set, CSB responded strongly, hitting .600 in the second set. They continued to press forward in the third set to take a 2-1 lead, but Coe College rallied to force a fifth set. CSB controlled the decisive set, hitting .316 with only one error and winning 15-11 to secure the match.
Match 2: CSB vs. Wartburg (1-3 Loss)
Despite valiant efforts and multiple standout performances, CSB fell to Wartburg in four sets (28-26, 17-25, 19-25, 22-25).
- Kali Jones: Registered her 16th career double-double with 12 kills and 15 digs.
- Audrey Spolidoro: Recorded 44 assists and a team-high 19 digs, securing another double-double.
- McKenna Moehrle: Contributed 10 kills, marking her sixth match this season with double-digit kills.
- Kate Stadum: Achieved a career-high 11 kills.
- Mackenzie Knofczynski: Added 11 kills, as four Bennies reached double digits in kills.
CSB opened the match with a hard-fought 28-26 victory in the first set. They built a 20-14 lead before Wartburg tied the match at 20. Despite a late rally by Wartburg, CSB closed out the set with a 4-1 run. However, Wartburg bounced back in the second set, holding CSB to a .000 hitting percentage, and continued their momentum into the third and fourth sets to secure the match. CSB hit just .093 in the final set, as Wartburg finished with a 19-9 edge in kills.
