Match Summary

LA CROSSE, Wis. — The Saint Mary's University volleyball team took 13th-ranked UW-La Crosse to five games Friday, before losing the finale at the La Crosse Invitational.

The teams went back-and-fourth, but the Eagles took the momentum of a Game 4 blowout through Game 5, ultimately winning 25-30, 30-26, 23-30, 30-18, 15-10.

After that, the Cardinals went on to sweep Buena Vista 30-28, 30-23, 30-18.

In the loss to La Crosse (21-5), which is ranked No. 3 in the Midwest Region, Ashley Dingels (Gibbon, Minn.) led SMU with 23 kills, while Kirstan Rouzer (Comstock, Wis.) and Lisa Engdahl (North Branch, Minn.) had 17 and 16, respectively.

Rouzer also had a game-high 38 digs in the loss, while Desiree Larson (Blaine, Minn.) had 30 and Engdahl added 23.

Megan Roesler (St. Paul, Minn.) served up an incredible five aces and added seven kills and eight digs, while teammate Tessa Stranik (Eatonville, Wash.) set up 66 assists in the loss for the Cardinals, who are ranked No. 5 in the Central Region.

"We were swept 3-0 by La Crosse earlier this season, so to take them to five games shows a lot of improvement in our team," SMU coach Mike Lester said. "Megan (Roesler) really looked good and is a player we'll need to step up not only next season but for the rest of this season as well."

Molli Dant (Forest City, Iowa) led SMU (20-7) with a double-double in the win against Buena Vista with 15 kills and 14 digs, while Stranik set up 42 and Rouzer dug up 16.

SMU plays Loras at 10 a.m. and St. Olaf at noon in La Crosse today.