Match Summary
WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary's University volleyball coach
Mike Lester is probably hoping that history really does have a way of repeating itself.
Heading into Friday's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match against Bethel, the Cardinals had not beaten the Royals since the 2000 season — when a 3-2 decision in the semifinals of the MIAC Tournament — helped propel the Cardinals to their first-ever NCAA Division III national tournament appearance.
Friday evening, the Cardinals snapped that seven-match winless streak against the Royals in impressive fashion, putting together a near-perfect performance en route to a 3-1 (30-24, 22-30, 30-17, 30-19) decision at the SMU Gym.
"We played very, very well," understated Lester, whose team hit .324 as a team — collecting 61 kills with just 14 errors in winning for the fifth straight time. "You've got to give
Lisa Engdahl (North Branch, Minn.) and
Kirstan Rouzer (Comstock, Wis.) a lot of credit, they passed the ball extremely well, and when we pass well, we're tough to beat."
Bethel can certainly attest to that.
After the two teams traded wins in the first two games, the Cardinals turned up the heat, committing just three errors in the match's final two games, as SMU improved to 6-2 in the MIAC and 18-5 overall.
"I thought we played a very solid first game, but let down a bit in the second, and that let Bethel right back in the match," said Lester, who got a match-high 21 kills from
Ashley Dingels (Gibbon, Minn.), while Engdahl chipped in 15 and
Megan Roesler (St. Paul, Minn.) added 11. "But we were able to regroup and turn things around in the third and fourth games. Those two games were fun to watch."
Yet, as impressive as the Cardinals' performance was, their work for the weekend is only half done.
"When you have two home meets back-to-back like this, it's very important to come away with two wins," said Lester, whose team plays host to Augsburg Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. "Everyone on this team knows that (the Bethel) match is only half the battle. We've got to come out with the same intensity (Saturday) — nothing less will do."
