WINONA, Minn. — For senior
Brittany Cherwinka (Faribault, Minn.), you could not have written a better ending.
In fact, the entire final chapter could not have been scripted any better.
Not only did the senior setter help guide the Saint Mary's University volleyball team to a 3-1 nonconference win over Northwestern with her 55-assist performance Tuesday evening at the SMU Gym, but assist No. 55 also gave her 2,000 assists in her three-year career as a Cardinal.
And, she did it on Senior Night.
“It was a great ending to a really neat night for our seniors,” said SMU coach Mike Lester, whose team picked up its second win over the Eagles — having outlasted Northwestern 3-2 during Day 2 of the Simpson Tournament in mid-September — and ninth win in its last 10 matches. “I'm really happy for our four seniors — they've been such a huge part of the success of this team and it's good to see them have such a memorable night.
“As a coach, you are always a little nervous about how your team is going to perform on Senior Night," admitted Lester, who watched as Cherwinka, Courtney Runge (St. James, Minn.), Jessica Larson (Pine Island, Minn.) and Pam Stanton (Mundelein, Ill.) all hit the court for the final time during regular season play. "But after a bit of a shaky start, this team really picked up their game.”
Much to the dismay of Northwestern.
The Eagles took advantage of the Cardinals' sluggish start to win the opening set 25-20, but from there, it was all SMU — with Cherwinka leading the charge — as the Cardinals rattled off wins of 25-16, 25-21 and 25-16.
Cherwinka — who was coming off career-best 65-assist performance in SMU's 3-2 conference win over St. Catherine last Wednesday — picked up right where she left off against the Eagles, recording her fourth straight 50-plus assist effort. Sarah Gardner (Rochester, Minn.), Jessica Mate (St. Charles, Ill.) and Runge were the main recipients of Cherwinka's generosity, as the trio collected 18, 16 and 12 kills, respectively. Tara Rasmussen (Kasson, Minn.) finished with a team-leading 15 digs, while Cherwinka and Amy Kujak (River Falls, Wis.) each posted three service aces.
“Regionally, this was a big win for us,” said Lester, whose team now closes out its season with four straight road matches — beginning Friday night at Macalester. “But now we have to make sure to put (the win) behind us and turn our focus to the rest of the season. We've got four big conference matches left, and with so many conference tournament spots up for grabs, we have to make sure we are on the top of our game each time we step on the court.”
