ST. JOSEPH, Minn. -- Kali Jones and McKenna Moehrle go way back.
 
The junior standouts on the College of Saint Benedict volleyball team grew up about 23 miles apart along Highway 55 in Central Minnesota - Jones in Annandale and Moehrle to the west in Eden Valley.
 
They played against each other often in junior high and high school, but they were also longtime teammates as part of the Kandi Elite Volleyball Club program, based out of Willmar.
 
And they've now been both teammates and roommates since Moehrle transferred to CSB after spending her first collegiate season at Division I South Dakota State in the fall of 2023.
 

"She's the first person I go to with things," said Jones, a 6-foot outside hitter who leads the Bennies (4-1 MIAC, 13-4 overall) in kills this season with 171. "We're so comfortable around each other, and that translates to the volleyball court. We each know what the other is thinking and we feed off that. She understands me, and I understand her."
 
"If I make a mistake, I know I can look at Kali and she'll help me reset," added Moehrle, a 6-2 middle blocker who has 58 kills and 27 ace blocks this season. "And she's the first one there to celebrate when I do something well. It's so nice to have someone who understands you that well as a teammate. We have full trust and confidence in one another."
 
It is w

hy Jones was the first person Moehrle contacted when she thought about transferring to CSB.
 
"I learned a lot at South Dakota State, but I wanted to be closer to home," Moehrle said. "I was looking for a new school, and I knew Kali was already here. So I reached out to her, she got me in touch with (head coach) Nicole (Hess) and that's how I wound up here."
 
It was a phone call Jones was thrilled to receive.
 
"I was kind of worried because my roommate fall semester of that year had decided to transfer out of Saint Ben's," she said. "I didn't know what I was going to do, then all of a sudden, I got a text from Kenna saying she was looking around at schools and asking me how I liked it here. I can still remember, I was in a parking lot and texted her back right away. I told her she had to come here and room with me. And we've been roommates ever since."
 
They've been pretty successful on the court as well. Moehrle earned All-MIAC honors a year ago when she recorded 17 double-digit kill matches, including in 10 of the final 13 of the season as the Bennies won the MIAC playoff championship and advanced to the NCAA Division III tournament. In her career at St. Ben's, she has 352 kills and 111 total blocks.
 
Jones, meanwhile, was an All-MIAC honorable mention selection who led CSB in kills with 318. In her third year at CSB, she has 31 double doubles with 727 kills and 788 digs in 70 games.
 
"Anytime you have a strong relationship with someone off the court, it carries over," Hess said. "That's something we work hard on with all our players - building that team culture piece. It's an important part of being successful. And you can just see the trust the two of them have playing together."
 
It's a bond that first formed when the two became teammates in club volleyball when they were just high school freshmen.
 
"We'd played against each other and I knew she was a beast," Jones said. "But I really didn't get to know her until I played with her in club. That first year of club is scary because you're just young freshmen. But I found a couple of girls I grew super close with and McKenna was one of them. We wound up rooming together during nationals, and it was the start of a really strong friendship."
 
"It's funny because we've probably been playing against each other since we each started volleyball," Moehrle added. "Since seventh grade for sure. We played with each other in club, then when we played against (Annandale) in high school, people on my team would ask what we had to do to stop her. I'd tell them, 'I don't know how you stop her.' She's that good a player."
 
Jones said the admiration runs both ways.
 
"She's very offensive-minded," Jones said. "She likes to get things done. She's a leader on the court and she's always smiling. I love that about her. She radiates confidence and other people feed off that."
 
Jones is an elementary education major who wants to get into teaching. Moehrle is an exercise and health science major who hopes to pursue a career as a chiropractor. She'd like to stick around Central Minnesota after graduation. Jones - who still coaches a club team in Annandale - might want to as well, though she could be open to getting a bit further away - at least for a time.
 
But no matter where they each end up, both say their friendship will remain strong.
 
"Kali is going to be in my wedding," Moehrle said. "We're going to stay in touch."
 
"We've actually talked about that," Jones added. "We can't wait for the day when we're married and in our big girl jobs, meeting up for coffee dates."
 
For now, though, the coffee can wait. That's because Jones and Moehrle have plenty they still want to accomplish on the volleyball court.
 
"Right now, we're focused on finishing this season strong," Jones said.
 
The team travels to Winona to face St. Mary's in an MIAC matchup scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 18).
 
"We'd like to repeat as conference playoff champions and make a deep run in the NCAA tournament," she continued. "But we know that's not going to come just by saying it. We have to keep working hard and put in the effort to make it happen."
 
"Last season was amazing," Moehrle continued. "At the start of the year, I don't think anyone thought we'd make it as far as we did. It was such a blessing to have that experience, and to get to do it with Kali, who's such a close friend. It would be really nice to do that again and maybe advance further. I think that's what all of us on this team are aiming for."