Match Summary

ST. JOSEPH, Minn. — With a Game 1 win and a 29-28 lead in the second game, the Saint Mary's University volleyball team appeared to be well on its way to snapping its three-match losing streak.

Then the momentum shifted — and the Cardinals' hopes of their first win since a 3-2 win over Wartburg on September 9 shifted with it.

Saint Benedict rattled off the last three points of that second game and never looked back, keeping the Cardinals winless in three Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matches with a 3-1 (28-30, 31-29, 30-15, 30-19) win Friday evening.

"It was a tough loss, because early on we really had everything going our way," said SMU coach Mike Lester. "Volleyball is such a game of momentum swings, and that was the difference tonight. We were one point away from going up 2-0, and instead, (Saint Benedict) rattled off three straight points to win that second game and we never recovered."

Molli Dant (Forest City, Iowa) led the way for the Cardinals, collecting 16 kills and 14 digs, while Pam Stanton (Mundelein, Ill.) added 13 kills and eight digs, and Breanna Benham (Deer River, Wis.) dished out 40 assists.

"We put ourselves in a good position early on in the match," said Lester, whose team returns to action Saturday afternoon, traveling to Concordia for a 3 p.m. MIAC match. "We played so well in those first two games — we committed only 12 (attack) errors in those two games combined — and then we go out and commit 13 errors in the third game alone.

"Once that second game ended, we just couldn't seem to get ourselves back on track."