WINONA, Minn. — It wasn't their best performance of the season, but the Saint Mary's University volleyball team still managed to get the job done Friday evening, as the Cardinals got a boost from their bench en route to a 15-6, 15-11, 14-16, 15-13 MIAC victory over Bethel Friday evening.

Lisa Grunewald (Austin, Minn.) and Melissa Cowan (Algonquin, Ill.) gave SMU the spark it needed en route to its seventh conference win in eight tries. Cowan came in to serve the final point in the Cardinals' 15-11 win in Game 2, then served six straight points to rally SMU from a 13-7 deficit to a 13-13 tie en route to the 15-13 win in the decisive fourth game.

"Lisa and Melissa played outstanding," praised SMU coach Mike Lester, whose team reached the 20-win plateau (20-6) with the victory. "Melissa came off the bench and served some crucial, crucial points for us and Lisa, she may not have the best technique in the back row, but she's scrappy and she sure got the job done tonight."

Rhonda Thibault (Faribault, Minn.) notched a team-leading 16 kills, while Diane Wood (Los Alamos, N.M.) chipped in 15 and Leslie Nicholls (Hastings, Minn.) added 14.

The Cardinals are back in action Saturday afternoon, playing host to Augsburg in an MIAC match beginning at 3 p.m.