College of Saint Benedict Athletics

ST. JOSEPH, Minn. - On a milestone night for senior Kali Jones (Annandale, Minn./Annandale), the College of Saint Benedict volleyball team suffered a heartbreaking, five-set loss to Gustavus Adolphus College Friday night, Sept. 25. After winning the first two sets, 25-15 and 25-21, CSB fell in the next three, 25-19, 25-23, 19-17. The defeat drops the Bennies to 6-6 on the season and 0-1 in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play, while GAC improves to 8-4 overall, 1-0 in conference contests. 

 

The match saw Jones record her 1000th career kill, doing so on a night where she finished with a career-best 23 kills. Jones becomes the 16th player in program history to achieve the milestone and the eighth Bennie to record both 1000 career kills and 1000 career digs. She joins the elite group of Mary Kuklock (1986-89), Amy Hagen (1987-90), Robin Ruschmeier (1995-98), Malia Evjen (1996-99), Emma Jaynes (2006-09), Chelsie Sobieck (2008-11) and Lexi Alm (2010-13).  

 

Jone's career-best in kills came on an impressive .316 attack percentage. Senior Kate Stadum (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd) was second on the squad with seven kills, while sophomore Karley Dunham (Baxter, Minn./Brainerd) and first-year Karlie Wollum (Canby, Minn./Canby) each added in six. Senior Libby Burns (Watertown, Minn./Watertown-Mayer) led the team with four aces, tying her career-high. Junior Izzy Torve (Loretto, Minn./Orono) and sophomore Ginny Schuler (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) orchestrated the majority of the attack, finishing with 23 and 15 assists, respectively.  

 

On the defensive end, Jones tied for the team-high in digs alongside first-year Kaelyn Wittwer (Delano, Minn./Delano), as each finished with 15 digs. Torve logged a double-double performance behind 13 digs. Dunham topped the team with four blocks, while sophomore Brooke Siegle (Norwood Young America, Minn./Waconia) followed with three, tying her career-best.  

 

As a team, CSB finished with 50 kills on a .158 showing, while Gustavus Adolphus held the upperhand with 62 kills on a .162 clip. The Bennies edged out the Golden Gusties in aces (8-6) and blocks (6-5), while GAC snagged the narrow advantage in digs (78-77) and assists (57-48).  

 

Slightly ahead in the opening set, a Jones kill, coming off an assist from senior Ingrid Noha (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) in her season debut, sparked a 10-1 run for CSB. Sophomore Sydney Elliott (Saint Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) followed with a solo stuff on the ensuing point to push the gap to two, 15-13. After a service error, Torve connected with Elliott, Dunham, and Siegle for three straight CSB kills and making Gustavus Adolpus call a timeout.  

 

The break did not stop the Bennies, as two GAC miscues continued Burns' service run. A big block by Dunham and Siegle pushed the gap two seven, 21-14, followed by an ace from Burns. The run closed out with an attack error to make it 23-14 before the Gusties could get a sideout. Saint Ben's quickly wrapped up the set, as Wollum downed a dish from Torve and Schuler dropped in an ace to snag set one, 25-15.  

 

The Bennies stayed hot to begin the second set, taking seven of the first nine points. After an attack error opened the set, Dunham kills sandwiched one from Siegle to make it 4-0 in favor of the home team. Gusties errors rewarded Saint Benedict with three points, as the home team quickly went ahead, 7-2. 

 

Gustavus Adolphus battled back to keep the set close, coming back to level the score at 13. Back-to-back attack errors put CSB ahead, 15-13, beginning an 8-1 run. After a Saint Benedict service error, GAC followed with the same miscue, beginning a serving streak from Torve. The junior setter connected with Jones, who tooled the block on the following point, forcing the Gusties to call timeout, 17-14. The break worked in favor of the home team, as an attack error followed before Jones buried a set from Noha. Torve aced the visitors and one more attack error closed out the run, 21-14.  

 

The Bennies used a kill from Stadum to set up set point, and an attack error locked in the second set in favor of CSB, 25-21.  

 

The third set saw back-and-forth battles, with Saint Ben's erasing an early deficit behind five points in six rallies. Trailing 14-10, Jones cut into the gap with back-to-back kills following a service error. After a sideout pushed the Gusties back up by two, 15-13, Schuler fed Jones for a kill, the 1000th of her career, and made it 1001 to her name, as she tied the score at 15.  

 

The Bennies could never pull ahead afterwards in the set, dropping it 25-19. 

 

Trailing for the majority of the fourth set, CSB battled back to make it competitive late. Down 23-18, the Bennies stole five of the next six points to build momentum. After a servie error, Burns dropped in one of her four aces on the night. Gustavus Adolphus answered with a kill to cue set point, but the Bennies fought off three set points to stay alive. Andries downed a set from Schuler, while Siegle added a kill after big digs from Torve kept the rally alive. Wollum followed with a kill of her own to make it a one-point difference, 24-23. GAC ended the hopes of a comeback, as an attack error awarded the visitors set four, 25-23. 

 

Down significantly at the halfway point of the fifth set, head coach Nicole Hess used a timeout trailing 8-4. The break proved to be pivotal for the Bennies, as they responded with a 5-0 run. The streak featured a Stadum kill and four Gusties miscues, pushing the home team in front, 9-8. 

 

With their backs against the wall, the Bennies shook off match point twice to stay alive. A Dunham kill forced GAC to use a timeout, and Stadum came out of the break hot, dropping in an ace to level the score at 14. CSB forced its own match point, as an attack error put the home team ahead, 15-14.  

 

Trading points the rest of the way, Jones set up match point again, as she beautifully tipped one over the block and in for her 23rd kill of the night, making it 27-16. Gustavus Adolphus went on to claim the next three points, and the final set, 19-17. 

 

Saint Ben's quickly returns to action tomorrow night, Sept. 26, as the Bennies travel to Hamline University for a 5 p.m. match. Links to the live stream and live stats can be found here.