In their final match of the tournament Saturday afternoon, however, it appeared the Cardinals had finally met their match, as Loras jumped out to a quick 2-0 advantage, winning the first two sets 27-25 and 25-22.

Fortunately for SMU, things aren't always as they appear, as the Cardinals found their rhythm on offense and came all the way back to knock off Loras 3-2, and complete their second straight perfect run through the Sugar Loaf Classic field.

“It was really five similar games (against Loras) from a volleyball perspective,” SMU coach Mike Lester said. “It was really one play here or there that decided every game. They made the plays the first two games, and we made them the last three.”

After surrendering a 24-22 lead in Set 1 and battling inconsistent play in Set 2, the Cardinals found their offensive groove in the third set — thanks in large part to senior Sarah Gardner's (Rochester, Minn.).

“We started out slow, but you when we start playing the way were capable of, you can just feel it coming on,” said Gardner, who led the Cardinals with 22 kills against the Duhawks. “You can just feel the passion and the fun we're having when we're playing like that.”

And when they started off slow in the fifth set — falling behind 3-2 — Gardner again gave SMU the boost it needed, collecting three straight kills to give the Cardinals a 5-3 lead, a lead they would never relinquish.

“Give Brittany (Cherwinka) a bunch of credit (for Gardner's success vs. the Duhawks), she recognized the mismatch and really exploited it,” said Lester, whose team had opened the day with a 3-0 win over UW-Stout — a match that included Mate reaching the 1,000 career kill. “When she's setting the ball like she was, Sarah becomes pretty automatic.”

Gardner didn't do it alone, however, as Amy Kujak (River Falls, Wis.) chipped in 15 kills, while Jessica Mate (St. Charles, Ill.) — who reached the 1,000-kill plateau with her team-leading 10 kills in SMU's 3-0 victory over UW-Stout earlier Saturday — added 13. Cherwinka pitched in 44 assists and Tara Rasmussen (Kasson, Minn.) led a quintet of Cardinals with 10 or more digs, finishing with a team high 18.

Gardner and Kujak were both selected to the Sugar Loaf Classic All-Tournament team, while also being named Co-Tournament MVPs.

After falling to Viterbo in its season opener, The Cardinals have now won four straight games, something they attribute to the trust they have in each other.

“We are so close on and off the court that it really translates to the game for us,” Cherwinka said. “We knew we were better than what we showed against Viterbo, and we're just ready to stay on this roll we're on.”