Match Summary

DECORAH, Iowa — They were coming off an impressive 3-0 win the night before in their conference opener. … It was a nonconference game against an opponent they had already manhandled 3-0 earlier this year … They had won 11 of their last 12 matches, while their opponent was looking for just third win in seven matches.

Thursday's match against Luther had all the warning signs of an ill-timed mental letdown for the Saint Mary's University volleyball team.

Yet, while the Cardinals may have stepped out of conference play to take on the Norse, they certainly didn't miss a beat, getting a match-high 12 kills from Kirstan Rouzer (Comstock, Wis.) en route to a 30-14, 30-26, 30-26 win.

Tessa Stranik (Eatonville, Wash.) chipped in 37 assists, and Katie Christensen (Crystal Lake, Ill.) tallied nine kills and three blocks, as the Cardinals improved to 12-3 overall.