ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – With third place in the MIAC standings on the line, the College of Saint Benedict volleyball team delivered one of its sharpest performances of the season Wednesday night, sweeping Bethel, 3-0, at Claire Lynch Hall.

The Bennies controlled the match from start to finish, winning 25-18, 25-19, 25-19, to improve to 17-6 overall and 8-2 in MIAC play. The victory guarantees Saint Benedict a third-place finish in the conference and a home match when the MIAC Playoffs begin Tuesday, Nov. 11. CSB closes out the regular season on Saturday (Nov. 8) at Carleton.

Saint Benedict's balanced offense was on full display, led by Keira McManus with 11 kills, while Brooke Andries and Mackenzie Knofczynski each added nine. The Bennies hit an efficient .274 as a team, finishing with 44 kills on 117 attacks.

Knofczynski led the team in hitting percentage, recording nine kills on 16 swings with only two errors for a .438 mark, while Andries was outstanding — nine kills on 23 attacks with no errors (.391). McManus contributed at a .231 clip.

At the net, Knofczynski also posted three blocks as the Bennies tallied five total team blocks. Setter Izzy Torve notched her fifth career double-double with 21 assists and 14 digs, also serving up two aces.

Defensively, Chaeli Haupert anchored the back row with 17 digs and two aces, pushing her career total to 1,239 digs—just 15 shy of 10th all-time in CSB history (Andrea Millerbernd, 1,253, 2006–09). The Bennies collectively recorded 61 digs, 41 assists, and nine service aces.

Game Summary
Bethel took an early 8-5 lead in the opening set before the Bennies stormed back, seizing an 8-7 advantage. With steady offense and crisp passing, CSB hit an impressive .342 in the frame, finishing with 16 kills and just three errors. A late surge that included a kill and service ace from Kali Jones (six kills, eight digs, three aces) helped push the lead to 23-17, and Knofczynski's solo kill sealed a 25-18 win. After a back-and-forth start in the second set, Bethel built a 14-9 lead before Saint Benedict responded with a 10-1 run that flipped the set. The Bennies' defense tightened and the offense found its rhythm, outkilling the Royals, 11-9, on the way to another 25-19 victory and a commanding 2-0 lead. The Bennies started fast again, taking a 4-1 lead in the third set, but the Bennies quickly regrouped. CSB took its first lead at 7-6, extended it to 14-10, and after Bethel tied the set at 16-16, Saint Benedict finished with a decisive 9-3 closing run. Fittingly, Andries capped the night with a match-clinching kill.