ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – With momentum firmly on their side, the College of Saint Benedict volleyball team heads back on the road this week for another crucial MIAC showdown. The Bennies, winners of six of their last seven games, will face Augsburg University at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 22 in Minneapolis.

Saint Ben's, led by head coach Nicole Hess (286 wins at CSB - 350 career wins) enters the matchup with a 14-4 overall record and a 5-1 mark in MIAC play, sitting second in the conference standings. With six regular-season contests left—five of them within the MIAC—every match holds increased importance as the Bennies push toward the conference playoffs, which begin Nov. 11. Following Wednesday's game, CSB returns home for a marquee battle against first-place St. Olaf on Friday, Oct. 24. CSB will hold a "Red Out" for the "Family Night" game with the Oles at Claire Lynch Hall at 7 p.m.

Finding Their Rhythm
The Bennies have hit their stride at the right time. Most recently, they earned a convincing 3-1 win at Saint Mary's, led by junior Kali Jones, who delivered a season-best performance with 17 kills, a .483 hitting percentage, and 17 digs. The standout effort earned her both MIAC Offensive Player of the Week and The House/St. Cloud Orthopedics CSB Athlete of the Week honors.

Senior middle hitter Mackenzie Knofczynski chipped in 11 kills and three blocks in the win, which marked CSB's third straight conference victory. That win followed a strong weekend on Oct. 10–11, when the Bennies edged St. Scholastica in five sets before sweeping St. Catherine at home on Youth Day. Jones again led the way, averaging 3.38 kills and 3.63 digs per set over the two matches, and recording back-to-back double-doubles to bring her career total to 32. Against St. Catherine, she tied her season high with 15 kills and added 16 digs.

First-year hitter Kiera McManus stepped up with a career-best 11 kills in the win over the Wildcats, while also tallying 12 kills and 13 digs against the Saints. First-year outside hitter Brooke Siegle also shined, matching her career high with 13 kills and adding a personal-best 16 digs and two aces against St. Scholastica.
Earlier this month, the Bennies added another five-set MIAC victory against Macalester before sweeping UW-River Falls at the Falcons' home tournament. Their lone setback in the last seven contests came against nationally-ranked Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Balanced Attack Driving Bennies' Success
CSB's strong stretch has been powered by contributions up and down the roster:

• Kali Jones continues to produce at a high level. She ranks in the seventh in the MIAC in kills (2.94/set), digs (4.02/set), and aces (0.45/set), while boasting 12 double-digit kill matches this season and 32 career double doubles (kills/digs).
• Chaeli Haupert, a senior defensive specialist, has been a rock in the back row, surpassing 1,000 career digs earlier this season and now totaling 1,150. She's reached double-digit digs in 16 matches, with a season-high of 23.
• Izzy Torve, a sophomore setter, ranks fourth in the MIAC in service aces (0.47/set) and ninth in assists (5.32/set). She has posted four double-doubles this year, including a career-best 34 assists vs. Cornell.
• Mackenzie Knofczynski, a senior and key presence at the net, is second in the MIAC in blocks (1.00/set), adding 1.89 kills per set and a .236 hitting mark. She's approaching 800 career kills and has over 300 blocks.
• McKenna Moehrle, a junior, brings experience and steady production with 64 kills and 40 blocks this season.
• First-year players Kiera McManus (112 kills) and Brooke Siegle (112 kills, 122 digs) have added spark and depth, each recording double-doubles and multiple double-digit kill performances.
• Brooke Andries, a junior outside hitter, has chipped in 110 kills and remains a reliable option on the outside.

Scouting Augsburg
Augsburg, led by first-year head coach Jay Kam, enters the weekend with an 8-14 record and a 3-2 mark in MIAC play. The Auggies have been competitive in conference action, with wins over Hamline and Concordia-Moorhead, but dropped recent matches to Gustavus, UW-Eau Claire, and UW-Stevens Point.
Augsburg's offense is paced by Ava Carlson, who averages an impressive 4.20 kills per set on 521 attacks. Taliah Triggs adds 2.72 kills per set, and as a team, the Auggies are averaging 12.1 kills, 11 assists, and 16.3 digs per set.

Series Snapshot
Saint Benedict holds a commanding 36-8 advantage in the all-time series with Augsburg, including a 3-2 win in their most recent meeting on Nov. 12, 2024. CSB has also won 17 of 24 road matches against the Auggies and enjoyed a 14-match win streak in the series from 2001 to 2012.