WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University volleyball team closes out its 2012 season — and bids farewell to its five graduating seniors — on Saturday, as the Cardinals host Gustavus in a 3 p.m. MIAC match at the SMU Gym.

The Matchup:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (4-6 MIAC | 13-14 Overall)
vs. Gustavus Gusties (4-6 MIAC | 10-17 Overall)

GameDay Live On The Web:
Live Stats | Video Preview | GameDay Program | Senior Salute

Last Action:
Carleton rallied from a 2-0 deficit to hand the Cardinals a 3-2 conference setback Wednesday at the SMU Gym — eliminating SMU from the MIAC playoff race. … Gustavus, meanwhile, made quick work of Gustavus on Wednesday, cruising to a 3-0 MIAC win in St. Paul, Minn.

SMU vs. Gustavus — Their Last Meeting:
October 26, 2011: Mary Nordick (Plymouth, Minn.) and Kara Grant each recorded 11 kills and Sabrina Bushlack (Mapleton, Minn.) added 10, but it was not enough, as Gustavus handed the Cardinals a season-ending, 3-1 conference setback in St. Peter, Minn.

Up Next:
Saturday's match is the season finale for both the Cardinals and Gusties.

Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2012 Roster | 2012 Statistics | 2012 Schedule
Saturday's match is the final collegiate match for SMU seniors Carissa Hahn (Hutchinson, Minn.), Cathy Rennie (Pine Island, Minn.), Tara Rasmussen (Kasson, Minn.), Megan Leisen (Kellogg, Minn.) and Sabrina Bushlack (Mapleton, Minn.). … Saturday's match also completes a season-ending four-match home stand for the Cardinals, who have gone 6-6 on their home court this season. … Wednesday's 3-2 decision vs. Carleton was the sixth five-set match of the season for the Cardinals. After beating St. Catherine and Concordia, SMU has dropped its last three five-setters. … With her sixth assist in the first set against Carleton on Wednesday, Lexi Assimos (Northbrook, Ill.) reached the 2,000-assist mark for her collegiate career. … Assimos, who finished with 41 assists vs. the Knights Wednesday, enters Saturday's season finale with 785 assists this season and 2,035 assists for her three-year SMU career. … Assimos' 41 assists marked the fifth time this season the junior setter has dished out 40 or more assists. Assimos collected a season-high 45 assists against Concordia on Sept. 29. …  Leisen recorded a career-high 17 kills against Carleton Wednesday, while Carissa Hahn chipped in 10. … Mary Nordick (Plymouth, Minn.) was held to nine kills vs. Carleton, snapping her streak of four straight matches with 10 or more kills. … Nordick has eclipsed the 10-kill plateau 12 times this season and enters Saturday's finale with a team-best 245 kills. … Hahn is second to Nordick with 194 kills, while Molly Grover (Zumbrota, Minn. / 158), Leisen (128), Kaylee Bunne (LeRoy, Minn. / 128) and Assimos (109) have also recorded 100 or more kills this season. … Rennie recorded a career-best 21 digs against Carleton Wednesday, with Lex Krogstad (Chicago, Ill.) adding 20. … Krogstad leads the team with 485 digs, with Hahn second at 317 and Rennie third with 260. … SMU has won the first set in 12 of its 13 wins. The Cardinals' 3-1 win over the University of Dubuque at the UW-Platteville Invitational on Oct. 6 marks the only time this season the Cardinals have won a match when not winning the opening set. … The Cardinals' 2-0 start to the conference season marked the first time since 2008 that they opened MIAC play with back-to-back wins.

Scouting The Gustavus Gusties:
2012 Roster | 2012 Statistics | 2012 Schedule
Saturday's match against Saint Mary's is the second straight road match for the Gusties. … Wednesday's win over St. Catherine was just the second 3-0 sweep of the season for the Gusties, who have been swept nine times this season. … On the flip side, five of GAC's 10 wins this season have gone the maximum five sets. … Emily Phillips and Becca Woodstra have led the way for the Gusties this season, recording 262 and 260 kills, respectively. … Phillips and Woodstra are two of five Gusties who have notched 100 or more kills this season — Kelle Nett (190), Emily Gilman (145) and Lauren Schlobohm (138) are the other three. … Kendra Weege is the team's assist leader with 637, followed by Taylor Meurer with 283. … Gustavus owns 143 service aces this season, led by Nett and Shelby Nosan with 28, and Weege with 26. … Paige Breneman has accumulated a team-best 458 digs through 27 matches, with Woodstra adding 229. … Wednesday's 3-0 win over St. Catherine improved the Gusties to 8-13 on the road this season — GAC finished the year just 2-4 on its home court.