Match Summary

DUBUQUE, Iowa — Through the first three matches of the River City Classic — and the first four matches of the season — the Saint Mary's University volleyball team made it look easy, breezing to four straight 3-0 victories.

Getting that overall record to 5-0, however, was another story.

The Cardinals, who earned a berth opposite Nebraska Wesleyan in the River City Classic championship with back-to-back-to-back 3-0 wins over Coe, Clarke and the University of Dubuque, needed the maximum five games to get past the Prairie Wolves to earn the tournament crown.

But it was anything but easy.

SMU was manhandled in the opening game of the championship match, falling 30-19. Then the nailbiting began, as SMU posted a pair of two-point wins, 31-29 and 30-28, to take a 2-1 advantage, only to have Nebraska Wesleyan force a decisive fifth game with a 30-28 win of its own. The Cardinals responded with an 18-16 Game 5 win to run their season-opening winning streak to five straight.

Kirstan Rouzer (Comstock, Wis.) led the SMU charge with a match-high 20 kills, while also adding 31 digs and a pair of blocks. Ashley Dingels (Gibbon, Minn.) and Megan Roesler (St. Paul, Minn.) each chipped in 17 kills, while Roesler also tallied five blocks and Rachel Rivers (Apple Valley, Minn.) added 10 kills and 27 digs.

In the day's first match against the University of Dubuque, Rouzer again led the way, posting 13 kills and 14 digs. Lisa Engdahl (North Branch, Minn.) added 10 kills and 16 digs, while Tessa Stranik (Eatonville, Wash.) dished out 38 assists.

Roesler, who finished the tournament with 28 kills, a .406 attach percentage, 11 digs and seven blocks, was named to the River City Classic All-Tournament team, and was joined by Stranik, who posted 172 assists, 13 kills, 11 aces, 40 digs and eight blocks.