Match Summary

LA CROSSE, Wis. — When the Saint Mary's University volleyball team finished 1-3 at the Elmhurst Tournament last weekend, Cardinal head coach Mike Lester summed it up in one simple word: Inconsistency.

And the Cardinals' performance Wednesday evening at the Viterbo Quadrangular was no different — SMU was consistently inconsistent.

SMU struggled in the opener against UW-Stevens Point, managing just nine points in a Game 2 loss en route to a 3-0, 30-23, 30-9, 30-28, before rebounding with a 3-1, 30-16, 28-30, 30-16, 30-22 win over Clarke.

"It was a bit of a struggle, especially in that first match," said Lester, whose team snapped its four-match losing streak with its 3-1 win over Clarke. "Stevens Point just played better than we did, plain and simple. We did a better job (against Clarke), but even in that match, we weren't as consistent as we need to be."

Courtney Runge (St. James, Minn.) led the Cardinals' offensive charge against Clarke, collecting 17 kills, three aces, 20 digs and two blocks, while Molli Dant (Forest City, Iowa) added 17 kills and Breanna Benham (Deer River, Minn.) dished out 55 assists.

"It was nice to see us bounce back after that Stevens Point match," said Lester. "Hopefully that will carry over to this weekend (when SMU hosts the SMU Sugar Loaf Classic)."