Match Summary
WINONA, Minn. — On the night before Halloween, there weren't many tricks, but plenty of treats for the Saint Mary's University volleyball team.
The Cardinals, needing a victory in their final regular-season home game to earn a spot in the MIAC post-season touranment, saved their best for last, as they rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat Gustavus 3-2 (21-30, 30-22, 24-30, 30-20, 16-14) Wednesday night at the SMU Gym.
"Unbelieveable," said SMU coach Mike Lester. "That was an incredible match all the way around. Both teams knew coming in that they needed a win to get in (to the conference tournament). And both teams gave 150 percent effort."
Fortunately for the Cardinals, their 150 percent was just enough.
With the win, SMU earned the No. 6 spot in the conference tournament and will face No. 3 Bethel next Tuesday at Bethel.
"We talked about the importance of coming into this match and playing at the highest level possible — and for the most part, we did that," said Lester, whose team extended its winning streak to a season-high five games. "A lot of times when you have an all-or-nothing situation like this — like in the Super Bowl or the World Series — it always seems like there's all the hype, and then one team comes out and just dominates.
"That certainly wasn't the case here. Both teams played their hearts out — and that's what you want in a season-deciding match."
Ashley Dingels (Gibbon, Minn.) led the way for the Cardinals (7-4 MIAC, 15-13 overall), recording a team-high 23 kills, while Kirstan Rouzer (Comstock, Wis.) chipped in 16 kills and 19 digs, and Tracy Kortgen (Comstock, Wis.) added 14 kills and a pair of aces.
Senior setter Melissa Cowan (Algonquin, Ill.), playing in her final home match, tallied 55 assists.
"This team was not going to be denied," said Lester, noting that each time the Cardinalslost (Games 1 and 3), they rallied around their senior setter and found a way to rebound. "I really believe that what this match ultimately came down to was that this team was not going to let Mel lose on Senior Night.
"There were times when we could have just crumbled under the pressure, but we didn't," Lester said. "Everytime there was a little adversity, we just found a way to battle through it.
"This was a great team win," Lester added. "Our backs have been to the wall for so long and each time this team has come through. Now we're in the conference tournament — and that at-large berth is up for grabs."
