OSHKOSH, Wis. — The College of Saint Benedict volleyball team battled but had their season ended in a 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-20) loss to No. 21 WashU (23-8)  in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Regional on Thursday, bringing the Bennies' year to a close at 21-7.

The loss halted CSB's six-match winning streak, a run that included a second consecutive MIAC Playoff Championship. It also marked the second straight year the Bennies reached the NCAA Tournament only to be eliminated by WashU, which advances to the regional semifinals.

Junior Kali Jones (Annandale, Minn.) —fresh off her AVCA All-Region selection—delivered another standout performance, leading CSB with nine kills, 17 digs and a service ace. Senior Mackenzie Knofczynski (Willmar, Minn.) added seven kills and two blocks, while junior Kate Stadum (Brainerd, Minn.) chipped in seven kills and five digs. Senior libero Chaeli Haupert (West Lake, Texas) tallied 12 digs and two aces, securing her place as No. 8 all-time in program digs with 1,332. Sophomore setter Izzy Torve directed the attack with 19 assists and eight digs.

Statistically, the match was tighter than the sweep suggested: both teams finished with 39 kills. But WashU's efficiency (.231 hitting percentage to CSB's .147), slight edge at the net (5–4 blocks), advantage in digs (68–61) and a narrow lead in aces (7–6) made the difference.

Set-by-set recap
Set 1:
WashU opened with a 5–0 burst before CSB answered with five straight of its own, sparked by a Jones kill and her service ace. But the Bears countered with another five-point run and never looked back, pulling away for a 25–16 win behind a .270 hitting performance.

Set 2:
Trailing early, the Bennies roared to life with a seven-point surge to take a 12–9 lead, later extending it to 14–11 on a Knofczynski kill. WashU replied with six straight points and eventually built a 20–15 cushion. CSB punched back again—five straight, capped by Jones' kills and two Torve aces—to tie it at 20. The teams traded points to 22–22 before the Bears closed the door, 25–22.

Set 3:
CSB opened strong, building a 12–9 lead before WashU seized control with a decisive 10–2 run. The Bennies stayed alive, clawing within 21–19, but the Bears finished the sweep 25–20. CSB posted its best offensive set of the match with 15 kills and a .204 clip, but WashU matched the 15 kills and hit .231.

Closing careers
Three Bennies played their final collegiate match:

• Mackenzie Knofczynski, a two-time All-MIAC honoree, ends her career with 834 kills, a .223 hitting percentage, 39 aces and 351 total blocks across 407 sets.
• Chaeli Haupert, the program's No. 8 all-time dig leader and two-time MIAC All-Playoff honoree, wraps up with 1,332 digs, 136 aces and 82 assists, including a career-best 455 digs this season.
• McKenna Moehrle, who was All-MIAC in 2024 and named to the MIAC All-Playoff Team in 2025, finishes with 405 kills and 142 blocks, including 70 this year.