ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict volleyball team is headed back to the MIAC Playoffs semifinals and into a familiar postseason matchup. With a four-match winning streak, the third-seeded Bennies (19-6) will face No. 2 Gustavus Adolphus (23-6) at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, at Gus Young Court in St. Peter, Minn.

Saint Benedict, the defending MIAC Playoff champion, advanced to the semifinals after sweeping No. 6 Augsburg, 3-0, in Tuesday's quarterfinal at Claire Lynch Hall. The win marked the Bennies' 25th all-time playoff victory in their 23rd postseason appearance. CSB has captured MIAC Playoff titles in 2024, 2017, and 2009. CSB has reached the MIAC Semifinals three straight years.

This week's matchup also serves as a rematch of last year's semifinals, when CSB upset top-seeded Gustavus in straight sets en route to the 2024 championship. The Gusties, however, have won three of the past four MIAC playoff titles and hold home-court advantage this time after topping the Bennies, 3-1, in their regular-season meeting on Sept. 26 in St. Peter.

Overall, Saint Benedict leads the all-time series 23-18.

Ticket and Broadcast Information
All tickets for the 2025 MIAC Playoffs are being sold online through HomeTown Ticketing. General admission tickets are $12 for adults and $3 for students with ID, while children under five are admitted free. No cash sales will be accepted at the venue.

Thursday's match will be streamed live on the MIAC Sports Network as part of the conference's pay-per-view coverage. Individual game streams are available for $10, or fans can purchase a $25 "championship pass" to watch the entire tournament.

Bennies at a Glance
Under longtime head coach Nicole Hess, CSB continues to be one of the MIAC's most consistent programs. Hess has guided the Bennies to a 291–147 (355-279 overall) career record at Saint Benedict and another top-three conference finish this fall.

First-year Keira McManus was named the MIAC Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 10 after averaging 4.0 kills and hitting .367. Today (Wednesday, Nov. 12), junior Kali Jones and senior Mackenzie Knofczynski were named to the All-MIAC first team. This marks the fourth consecutive year that two or more CSB players have earned first-team All-MIAC recognition. The program has seen at least one student-athlete honored by the conference every season since the mid-1980s. Jones was All-MIAC first team for the first time and Knofczynski becomes the 34th two-time honoree in school history. Jones was honorable mention All-MIAC a year ago while Knofczynski earned her second All-MIAC honor (2023, 2025) and was honorable mention All-MIAC a year ago. 

By the Numbers
CSB ranks among the MIAC's best in several key categories:

• 3rd – Points per set (16.04)
• 5th – Hitting percentage (.170)
• 5th – Assists per set (10.88)
• 5th – Kills per set (11.86)
• 3rd – Blocks per set (1.82)
• 1st – Service aces per set (2.37)
• 3rd – Digs per set (17.28)

Key Contributors:

• Kali Jones (Jr., OH) is one of the MIAC's most complete players, ranking:
  • 10th in kills (2.79/set, 251 total)
  • 5th in points (3.48/set, 313.5 total)
  • 9th in digs (3.73/set, 336 total)
  • 2nd in aces (0.45/set, 45 total)
    Jones has 13 double-digit kill matches this season and 34 career double-doubles. She has 808 career kills, 884 digs, and 119 service aces.
• Chaeli Haupert (Sr., L) has 1,272 career digs (10th all-time at CSB) and ranks 4th in the MIAC this season (4.29 digs/set). She's posted double-digit digs in 20 matches, including a career-high 31 digs vs. Concordia. In the MIAC Playoffs first round, she had nine digs.
• Izzy Torve (So., S)  is tied for 5th in the MIAC in aces (0.48/set) and 11th in assists (5.28/set). She has six double-doubles this season and a career-best 34 assists vs. Cornell.
• Mackenzie Knofczynski (Sr., MB) is the MIAC's blocking leader (1.02/set, 94 total). She recently surpassed 800 career kills (817) and has 342 career blocks.
• McKenna Moehrle (Sr., MH) provides a veteran presence with 95 kills this season, bringing her career totals to 389 kills and 129 blocks.
• Keira McManus (Fr., OH) has had an impressive first year, averaging 2.10 kills/set (.215). She notched a career-high 19 kills vs. Concordia and hit .522 on 13 kills in the sweep of Carleton.  

Scouting the Gusties
Gustavus, under first-year head coach Jacob Voss, enters Thursday's semifinal ranked No. 23 in Division III with a 23-6 overall record. The Gusties boast four All-MIAC honorees, led by Leah Berg (331 kills, 3.09/set) and Maren Sundberg (4.96 digs/set). Sydney Timm and Greta Tompkins have combined for more than 470 kills and nearly 140 blocks.
Gustavus ranks among the conference's top teams in nearly every category, leading the MIAC in kills (13.15/set) and blocks (1.86/set) while hitting .201 as a team.

What's Next
The winner of Thursday's semifinal advances to Saturday's MIAC Championship at 7 p.m., hosted by the highest remaining seed. The MIAC Playoff champion earns the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships.