Match Summary

NORTHFIELD, Minn. — When the Saint Mary's University volleyball team let a near-certain victory slip through their grasp in dropping a key 3-2 decision to St. Thomas last Wednesday, the Cardinals' hopes of a second-straight Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular-season title slipped away right with it.

But when the Cardinals took the floor Wednesday for a conference match against Carleton, there was still plenty for SMU to play for.

After all, unlike years past, when every team qualified for the conference's post-season tournament, this year only the top six teams earn an invitation.

And thanks to a convincing 3-0 (30-20, 30-27, 32-30) victory over the Knights, the Cardinals made sure their name was on the guest list.

Tracy Koertgen (Crystal Lake, Ill.) led the way for SMU, collecing 13 kills and hitting a whopping .522. Rhonda Thibault (Faribault, Minn.) led a trio of SMU players with 11 kills and added three service aces and three blocks, while Kirstan Rouzer (Comstock, Wis.) tallied 11 kills and 11 digs, and Leslie Nicholls (Hastings, Minn.) notched 11 kills and a team-high 13 digs. Melissa Cowan (Algonquin, Ill.) dished out 41 assists and Ashley Dingels (Gibbon, Minn.) chipped in a team-leading 5 blocks as the Cardinals pushed its mark to 7-3 in the MIAC, tying them with Concordia and St. Thomas for the No. 3 spot in the conference standings.