ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict volleyball team (15-5), which has seven wins in the past nine games, faces (RV) Northwestern (17-6) in the final non-conference match up of the regular season at 7 p.m., on Wednesday, Oct. 29 in St. Paul, Minn.  

The Bennies sit 15-5 overall with a 6-2 mark for third in the MIAC. After this match up, St. Ben's will host Concordia-Moorhead on Senior Day at 5 p.m., Nov. 1 at Claire Lynch Hall.

Bennies have four regular season games remaining
Head coach Nicole Hess, who has amassed 287 wins at CSB and 351 overall in her career, has her team peaking as the postseason nears. St. Ben's has just four regular-season matches left — three of them within MIAC play — as they push toward the conference playoffs beginning Nov. 11.

In their most recent action, CSB dropped a 3-1 decision to MIAC leader (RV) St. Olaf on Oct. 25. Their latest victory came on Oct. 22, when CSB earned a hard-fought 3-1 road win at Augsburg. Against the Auggies, junior Kali Jones led the charge with 16 kills, 11 digs, and four blocks, following up a standout showing on Oct. 18 at Saint Mary's, where she posted a season-best 17 kills, .483 hitting percentage, and 17 digs. That dominant weekend earned her both MIAC Offensive Player of the Week and The House/St. Cloud Orthopedics CSB Athlete of the Week honors on Oct. 20.

Those performances capped off a strong stretch that began earlier in October. On Oct. 10–11, the Bennies edged St. Scholastica in five sets before sweeping St. Catherine on Youth Day. Jones was stellar again, averaging 3.38 kills and 3.63 digs per set while recording back-to-back double-doubles — bringing her career total to 32. Against St. Catherine, she tied her season high with 15 kills and 16 digs.

First-year hitter Keira McManus notched a career-best 11 kills in that win, adding 12 kills and 13 digs the night before against the Saints. Fellow first-year Brooke Siegle matched her career high with 13 kills, added a personal-best 16 digs, and served two aces in the St. Scholastica match.

Earlier in the month, CSB earned another five-set MIAC win over Macalester and swept UW-River Falls at the Falcons' home tournament. The Bennies' lone setback in their past seven contests came against nationally ranked Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Balanced Attack Fuels Bennies' Surge
The Bennies' success has been built on depth and balance across the lineup:

• Kali Jones remains a force, ranking 7th in the MIAC in kills (2.92/set), 6th in points (3.56/set), 7th in digs (3.85/set), and 8th in aces (0.44/set). She has 13 double-digit kill matches this season and 33 career double-doubles. Jones is approaching 800 career kills, sitting at 766 while sitting at 825 career digs and 97 service aces.
• Chaeli Haupert, the senior defensive anchor, surpassed 1,000 career digs earlier this year and now sits at 1,184, which his 70 from 10^th on CSB's top 10 (Andrea Millerbernd, 1,253, 2006-09). She's posted double-digit digs in 18 matches, including a season-high 23, and ranks 5th in the MIAC with 4.15 digs per set (307 total).
• Izzy Torve, a sophomore setter, ranks 4th in service aces (0.46/set) and 10th in assists (5.28/set). She's tallied five double-doubles, highlighted by a career-best 34 assists vs. Cornell.
• Senior Mackenzie Knofczynski anchors the net, ranking 2nd in the MIAC in blocks (0.97/set – 72 total). She's added 1.85 kills per set (137 total) and a .230 hitting percentage, while closing in on 800 career kills (785) and has 320 career blocks.
• Junior McKenna Moehrle adds consistent production with 71 kills and 47 blocks this year (career totals: 365 kills, 119 blocks).
• First-year standouts Keira McManus (127 kills) and Brooke Siegle (119 kills, 126 digs) continue to energize the lineup, each logging multiple double-doubles. Setter Ginny Schuler contributes 4.14 assists and 1.62 digs per set.
• Junior Brooke Andries remains a steady outside option with 121 kills this season and 467 career kills.

Scouting the Eagles
Under the guidance of longtime head coach Beth Wilmeth, now in her 22nd season at the helm, Northwestern has continued to build on its tradition of excellence. Wilmeth has steered the Eagles to 18 conference titles and 14 conference tournament championships, and her current squad looks poised to add to that legacy. This fall, Northwestern has compiled an impressive 17-6 record and holds a perfect 9-0 mark in the UMAC, good for first place in the conference standings. The Eagles enter Wednesday's matchup riding a seven-match winning streak, all coming in straight-set sweeps—a dominant run that includes a 3-0 win over Concordia-Moorhead on Oct. 11. Their consistent play has earned them recognition in the AVCA Division III Top 25 poll, where they continue to receive votes.Statistically, Northwestern boasts one of the most balanced attacks in the region, averaging 12.8 kills, 16.3 digs, 2.5 blocks, and 1.6 aces per set. Ania Jarchow leads the offense with 2.75 kills per set (223 total) while hitting .223, followed closely by Marley Aune with 2.61 kills per set (214) and Ana Egge with 2.56 kills per set (210). Setting the tone for the Eagles' offense is Addeson Jenniges, who orchestrates the attack with 10.44 assists per set (835 total).

Series History
Saint Benedict trails the all-time series with Northwestern, 27-19, but the Bennies recorded a 3-2 (21-25, 25-21, 17-25, 25-21, 25-21, 15-12) victory on Oct. 18, 2024. At home, CSB is 7-11 against Northwestern and 3-8 the road. In the first match up, Northwestern won a 2-0 decision on Oct. 7, 1975.

Looking Ahead
After Friday's showdown, CSB will return home to host Concordia on Senior Day at 5 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 1.