ST. JOSEPH, Minn. — The College of Saint Benedict volleyball team fought hard but couldn't hold off St. Olaf, falling, 3–1, in a matchup for first place in the MIAC before 453 in attendance at Claire Lynch Hall on Friday, Oct. 24.

The Oles, who entered the contest receiving votes in the national poll, prevailed 25–23, 21–25, 25–12, 25–18 to improve to 18–6 overall and remain unbeaten in conference play at 7–0. The loss snapped the Bennies' four-match MIAC winning streak, dropping them to 15–5 and 6–2 in the league.

Bennies Battle Early
The opening set was a tug-of-war featuring 11 ties and seven lead changes. After St. Olaf built a 7–4 lead, CSB clawed back behind kills from Brooke Andries and a string of Ole errors to edge ahead, 8–7. The Bennies kept it close, taking a 13–11 advantage before St. Olaf surged late to earn a narrow 25–23 win. Andries paced CSB with four kills in the first frame.

The second set was another back-and-forth affair, tied 15 times before the Bennies seized control. A late push — sparked by a block from McKenna Moehrle, a kill from Ingrid Noha, and an ace by Kali Jones — gave CSB a 24–21 lead. Keira McManus sealed the 25–21 win with a kill to even the match at a set apiece. The Bennies hit .250 in the set with 14 kills and three aces.

Momentum swung sharply in the third set as St. Olaf stormed to a 10–3 lead and never looked back, taking a 25–12 decision behind a .242 hitting percentage. CSB managed just six kills on 33 attacks in the frame. In the fourth, the Oles maintained control, hitting .216 with 14 kills to secure the 25–18 win and the match. CSB posted nine kills on 38 swings in the final frame.

CSB Stat Leaders
Izzy Torve recorded a double-double for Saint Benedict with 17 assists and 10 digs. Mackenzie Knofczynski hit .333 with eight kills and two blocks, while Jones added six kills, three aces, and nine digs. Chaeli Haupert anchored the defense with a team-high 16 digs, and both McManus and Andries contributed six kills apiece.

As a team, CSB totaled 39 kills on 154 attacks (.058), along with 34 assists, five aces, four blocks, and 59 digs. St. Olaf finished with 49 kills on 149 swings (.168), 72 digs, and six team blocks.

Next for CSB will play their final nonconference game of the regular season as they travel to face (RV) Northwestern (Minn.) in St. Paul, on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m.