ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – With momentum on their side and a strong start to the 2025 season, the College of Saint Benedict volleyball team is gearing up for a pivotal MIAC weekend with both road and home action ahead.

At 11-4 overall and 2-1 in the MIAC, the Bennies, led by veteran head coach Nicole Hess (now with 283 wins at CSB), are just a half-game out of third place in the conference standings. This weekend, they'll hit the road Friday night to take on St. Scholastica (11-7, 3-1 MIAC) in Duluth at Reif Gym, with first serve scheduled for 7 p.m. The team then returns to the friendly confines of Claire Lynch Hall on Saturday, Oct. 11, to host St. Catherine (6-12, 2-2 MIAC) in a 5 p.m. contest that also doubles as Youth Night.

Riding Momentum into the Weekend
CSB enters the weekend having gone 2-1 over their recent stretch. On Oct. 3, they battled past Macalester in a thrilling five-set MIAC victory. A day later at the UW-River Falls Quad, the Bennies blanked the host Falcons in straight sets before falling to No. 3-ranked Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 3-0. In its last four games, CSB has three wins.

Key Contributors Fueling CSB's Success
Several standout performers have been instrumental in CSB's strong campaign.

Senior defensive specialist Chaeli Haupert hit a major career milestone earlier this season, eclipsing 1,000 career digs (1,094 in her career) during a match against UW-Eau Claire. She now ranks 7th in the MIAC with 4.02 digs per set and 12th in service aces (0.43/set), totaling 23 aces this season and 120 in her career. Haupert has hit double-digit digs in 13 matches, including a season-high 23 against Luther.

Junior outside hitter Kali Jones continues to dominate on both ends of the court. She's recorded seven matches with 10+ kills (twice hitting a season-high of 15) and 13 matches with double-digit digs, totaling 29 career double-doubles. She ranks 9th in the MIAC in kills (2.77/set) and 5th in digs (4.06/set), while adding 23 service aces (0.44/set). Her career numbers now stand at 701 kills, 759 digs, and 88 aces.

Sophomore setter Izzy Torve is establishing herself as a dynamic playmaker. She ranks 7th in the MIAC in aces (0.48/set) and 9th in assists (5.39/set), highlighted by a career-best 34 assists against Cornell and four double-doubles this season.

Senior Mackenzie Knofczynski is adding power at the net, averaging 1.97 kills/set and hitting .236. She is currently 2nd in the MIAC in blocks (1.02/set) with 55 total. Over her career, she's totaled 749 kills and 303 blocks.

Support at the net continues to come from junior Brooke Andries and first-year Brooke Siegle. Andries, a junior, has added 92 kills this season (1.8/set) with a career total of 438, including two double-digit kill matches. Siegle is contributing 1.92 kills/set and 2.02 digs/set, with a season-high 13 kills.

Also making her presence felt is first-year Keira McManus, who is averaging 1.65 kills/set and has notched double-digit kills in two matches (with a high of 10 both times).

Scouting the Opponents
St. Scholastica, coached by Chelsea Meierotto in her third season, enters the matchup at 11-7 overall and 3-1 in MIAC play. The Saints are riding a wave of strong performances, including recent wins over UW-Stout (3-0), Saint Mary's (3-2), and Carleton (3-0). Their only conference loss came in a 3-1 match against Augsburg. Offensively, the Saints average 12.26 kills/set (5th in MIAC) and defensively, they're 2nd in the conference with 1.88 blocks/set. Key players include Ava Stangstue (170 kills, .279 hitting) and Lindsey Baribeau (196 kills, .275 hitting).

St. Catherine, under the direction of ninth-year head coach Todd Nelson, comes into the weekend at 6-12 overall and 2-2 in the MIAC. They are fresh off a 3-1 win over Macalester, where they tallied 59 kills and hit .190 as a team. The Wildcats average 10.28 kills/set and 14.88 digs/set, matching the Saints with 1.88 blocks/set.

Series History
Against St. Scholastica, CSB holds a 19-5 series lead, including a three-match winning streak. The Bennies are 7-1 at home and 9-2 on the road versus the Saints, with their most recent win coming in a 3-1 decision on Oct. 5, 2025. Their first-ever meeting was a 3-0 CSB sweep in 2002.

In their series with St. Catherine, the Bennies boast a dominant 32-2 all-time series record, including a 15-1 mark at home. CSB swept the Wildcats 3-0 in their last meeting on Nov. 16, 2024. The series began back on Oct. 13, 1993, with a CSB 3-0 win in St. Paul.