Match Summary
WINONA, Minn. — With his team stuck in the midst of a season-high five-match losing streak, Saint Mary's University volleyball coach
Mike Lester was looking for anything that would give his Cardinals a spark.
What he got wasn't just a spark – it was more like a four-alarm fire.
Lester put an entirely new starting lineup on the court Wednesday against St. Catherine, and the new-look Cardinals made their coach look like a genius, as they torched the Wildcats 3-0 (30-22, 30-23, 30-16) in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match at the SMU Gym.
"We needed to do something, and this seemed to do the trick," said Lester, whose team had not won since knocking off Wartburg 3-2 during the second day of the SMU Sugar Loaf Classic on Sept. 9. "Is this the lineup that we will go with again (on Friday against Hamline)? I don't know. But for tonight, this group gave us the spark that we desperately needed."
Seeing extended playing time for the first time this season,
Courtney Runge (St. James, Minn.),
Kelsi Scanlon (Cologne, Minn.),
Carolyn Kiefer (New London, Wis.),
Ann Zajac (Hastings, Minn.),
Michelle Schreier (Maple Plain, Minn.),
Jessica Voight (Caledonia, Minn.) and
Ashley Karl (Auburndale, Wis.) made the most of their opportunity.
Runge posted a career-high 13 kills and added 13 digs, while Voight chipped in 12 kills and Scanlon notched 11. Kiefer tallied 32 assists, not to mention four kills in six attempts, while Karl collected 20 digs and Zajac had five blocks.
"I'm very pleased with the effort these girls put forth — they played with a ton of energy and they played very well\," said Lester, whose team rallied from a 17-10 Game 1 deficit and were never challenged after en route to their first MIAC win in five tries. "We needed a match like this. It feels good to get back on the winning track.
"The key now is to keep the momentum building," added Lester, whose Cardinals are back in action on Friday and Saturday, playing host to Hamline and St. Thomas, respectively. "We've got a tough weekend ahead and it's nice to be heading into it on a winning note."
