WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University volleyball team kicks off the 2013 season at home this weekend, as the Cardinals host the nine-team Sugar Loaf Classic.

The Sugar Loaf Classic Field:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (2012: 14-14 Overall), Lakeland Muskies (2012: 17-10 Overall), Luther Norse (2012: 15-17 Overall), UW-La Crosse Eagles (2012: 13-18 Overall), St. Catherine Wildcats (2012: 15-18 Overall), Gustavus Gusties (2012: 10-18 Overall), Dominican Stars (2012: 24-9), UW-Stout Blue Devils (2012: 15-14 Overall), St. Scholastica Saints (2012: 17-13 Overall)

The Sugar Loaf Classic Schedule:
Friday, Aug. 30:
Court 1: SMU vs. Lakeland, 2 p.m. | St. Catherine vs. Lakeland, 4 p.m. | SMU vs. Dominican, 6 p.m. | UW-Stout vs. Gustavus, 8 p.m.
Court 2: Luther vs. UW-La Crosse, 2 p.m. | Gustavus vs. Luther, 4 p.m. | St. Catherine vs. UW-Stout | 6 p.m. | UW-La Crosse vs. Dominican, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 31:
Court 1: Dominican vs. Gustavus, 10 a.m. | SMU vs. Luther, Noon | Gustavus vs. Lakeland, 2 p.m. | SMU vs. St. Scholastica, 4 p.m.
Court 2: UW-La Crosse vs. Lakeland, 10 a.m. | UW-La Crosse vs. St. Scholastica, Noon | St. Catherine vs. Luther, 2 p.m. | St. Catherine vs. Dominican, 4 p.m.

GameDay Live On The Web:
Live Stats: Court 1 | Court 2 - (Saturday only) | Tournament Homepage | Program | Video Preview

Last Action:
This weekend's matches are the season opener for all nine teams competing.

SMU vs. The Sugar Loaf Classic Field — Their Last Meeting:
vs. Lakeland — September 23, 2011:
The Cardinals got their money's worth during the first two matches of the Red Hawk Invitational in Ripon, Wis., stretching both of their opening-day matches to the maximum five sets. The Cardinals rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat Lakeland 3-2 in their first match, but couldn't hold a 2-1 lead in their second match against Coe, falling to the Kohawks 3-2.
vs. Luther — September 1, 2012:
After dropping their first match of the two-day tournament with a 3-1 setback against Nebraska Wesleyan earlier in the day, the Cardinals got right back on the winning track in their final match of the tournament — dropping Luther 3-1 at the Ground Round Sugar Loaf Classic.
vs. UW-La Crosse — October 6, 2012:
SMU squared off against UW-La Crosse for the second time this season during the second day of the UW-Platteville Invitational in Platteville, Wis. Fortunately for the Cardinals, the rematch had a much more favorable outcome, as SMU avenged that 3-1 nonconference loss to the Eagles on Sept. 5 with an impressive 3-0 victory.
vs. St. Catherine — October 12, 2012:
After beating SCU 3-2 in the teams' MIAC regular-season match on Sept. 19, the Cardinals were looking for a season sweep of the Wildcats when the teams met during the second day of the UW-Stout Invitational in Menomonie, Wis. St. Catherine, however, had other ideas, as the Wildcats turned the tables on SMU with a 3-2 win of their own.
vs. Gustavus — October 27, 2012:
SMU — determined to give their graduating seniors the proper send-off — did just that, as the Cardinals cruised to a 3-0 conference victory over Gustavus at the SMU Gym in the final collegiate match for Carissa Hahn (Hutchinson, Minn.), Cathy Rennie (Pine Island, Minn.), Tara Rasmussen (Kasson, Minn.) and Megan Leisen (Kellogg, Minn.).
vs. Dominican:
Friday's match will be the first meeting between the Cardinals and Stars in program history.
vs. UW-Stout — October 13, 2012:
SMU got out to a quick start against UW-Stout in the final match of the two-day, UW-Stout Invitational in Menomonie, Wis., but it was the Blue Devils who had the better finishing kick, rattling off back-to-back set victories to beat the Cardinals 3-2.
vs. St. Scholastica — September 3, 2010:
If the Cardinals were feeling any ill effects from their season-opening loss to Viterbo, they certainly didn't show it. The Cardinals looked to be in perfect health — and in mid-season form — as they dismantled St. Scholastica and Luther by identical 3-0 scores during the opening day of the Ground Round Sugar Loaf Classic at the SMU Gym.

Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2013 Roster || 2013 Schedule
The Cardinals are coming off a 14-14 season a year ago. … With her sixth assist in the first set against Carleton on Oct. 24, First-Team All-MIAC setter Lexi Assimos (Northbrook, Ill.) reached the 2,000-assist mark for her collegiate career. … Assimos closed out the season with a team-best 816 assists last season and enters her senior year with 2,066 career assists — ranking her seventh all-time. … Assimos collected a season-high 45 assists against Concordia on Sept. 29 and boasted five matches with 40 or more assists. … Mary Nordick (Plymouth, Minn.) owned a team-leading 256 kills in 2012, while also hitting .245. … Nordick eclipsed the 10-kill plateau in 12 of the team's 28 matches last season — including a career-high 18 kills against Luther on Sept. 1. … Carissa Hahn (Hutchinson, Minn.) was second to Nordick with 201 kills, while Molly Grover (Zumbrota, Minn. / 165), Kaylee Bunne (LeRoy, Minn. / 136), Megan Leisen (LeRoy, Minn. / 134) and Assimos (113) all recorded 100 or more kills a year ago. … Grover's 20 kills against Nebraska-Wesleyan on Sept. 1 were not only a career-best, but also a single-match team-high. … Leisen posted a career-high 17 kills and Cathy Rennie (Pine Island, Minn.) tallied a career-best 21 digs against Carleton on Oct. 24. … Lex Krogstad (Chicago, Ill.) was the Cardinals' dig leader with 502, followed by Hahn (327) and Rennie (272). … Krogstad's 502 digs ranked fifth all-time behind Theresa Perrini (721, 690, 563) and Desire Larson (507). … Krogstad and Tara Rasmussen (Kasson, Minn.) each enjoyed career nights vs. UW-Stout on Oct. 13, recording 36 and 30 digs, respectively. … Rasmussen closed out her four-year collegiate career ranked fourth all-time in digs with 1,368. … SMU won the first set in 13 of its 14 wins. The Cardinals' 3-1 win over the University of Dubuque at the UW-Platteville Invitational on Oct. 6 was the only time this season the Cardinals won a match when not winning the opening set. … SMU closed out the 2012 season winning two of their last three matches — with both wins coming by 3-0 sweeps. … Seven of SMU's 14 wins last season were 3-0 decisions. On the flip side, the Cardinals played five matches that went the maximum five sets. After beating St. Catherine and Concordia, SMU dropped its last three five-setters. … SMU finished 7-6 on its home court last season, while going 7-8 away from the SMU Gym. … 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 Lakeland Muskies:
2013 Roster | 2012 Final Statistics | 2013 Schedule
The Muskies are coming off a 17-win season in 2012  — amassing as many wins as they had in their previous two seasons combined. … Lakeland returns three players who earned All-Northern Athletic Conference honors a year ago in Katie Freitag, Brittany Reindl and Caleigh Galvan. Freitag was a first-team all-conference selection, while Reindl was a second-team selection and Galvan was named to the NAC all-freshman team. … Freitag boasted a team-best .217 attack percentage a year ago and was second on the team with 224 kills. She also owned a team-leading 64 blocks. … Reindl ranked among the NAC's leading setters all season, starting every match and posting 889 assists. … Reindl also led Lakeland and was fifth in the conference with 40 service aces, and she also finished fourth on the Muskie squad with 25 blocks and fifth on the team with 222 digs. … Galvan finished second on the team with 282 digs and was fifth with 154 kills in her first collegiate season. … Lakeland finished 2012 with three players collecting 200 or more kills, led by Taylor Daus (245) and Freitag (224). … The Muskies did not play a five-set match last season, going 6-7 in matches decided in three sets, and 11-3 in four-setters.

Scouting The Luther Norse:
2013 Roster | 2012 Final Statistics | 2013 Schedule
The Norse are coming off a 15-17 season a year ago, which included their first berth in the IIAC Tournament semifinals in three seasons. … Luther returns one All-IIAC performer in Hannah Wilson, while the Norse will have to find a replacement for Sophia Brown, who graduated after an all-conference senior season a year ago. … Brown tallied 300 kills and led the Norse with 113 total blocks during the 2012 campaign. Wilson, meanwhile, was credited with 253 kills, 26 ace serves and 102 total blocks. … Hannah Theisen finished 2012 as the team-leader in kills with 314. … Lindsey Ryan accounted for 1,113 of the team's 1,197 assists last season, while also leading the team in service aces with 30. … Ryan was one of nine Luther players with at least 10 aces a year ago. … Alexis Dorschner and Jordyn Dudek recorded 257 and 230 digs to lead the Norse in 2012, while Brown and Wilson were the team's blocks leaders with 114 and 102, respectively. … Luther went 6-5 in three-set matches and 4-3 in five-setters, but were just 5-9 in matches decided in four sets. … Fourteen of Luther's 15 wins came on the road.

Scouting The UW-La Crosse Eagles:
2013 Roster | 2012 Final Statistics | 2013 Schedule
The Eagles are coming off a 13-18 season in 2012, and boasted two players — Brianna Jacobson and Crystal Ziegler — named honorable-mention All-WIAC. … Ziegler boasted a team-leading 262 kills a year ago. She was one of six Eagles with 100 or more kills in 2012. … Kayla Ashland compiled a team-best .266 attack percentage, while Chantel York and Cassie Raduka shared the setting duties, dishing out 644 and 410 assists, respectively. … Jacobson was the team's ace leader with 36. She was one of eight Eagles with at least 10 service aces in 2012. … UW-L boasted three players with 200 or more digs, led by Katie Kaufman with 447. … Seven of UW-L's 13 wins came in four sets, where the Eagles were 7-8. UW-L was 5-7 in three-set matches and 1-3 in matches that went the maximum five sets.

Scouting The St. Catherine Wildcats:
2013 Roster | 2012 Final Statistics | 2013 Schedule
The Wildcats are coming off a 15-18 season a year ago, but will be taking the court this season without graduated all-conference performer Nicole Pothen. … Pothen closed out a stellar senior season in 2012 with a career-high 632 digs — the second-highest single-season total in SCU history, and twice as many digs as her previous season-best (315 digs in 2009). … Pothen finished her career with 1,150 career digs, which ranks fourth all-time in the Wildcat record books. … The Wildcats boasted three players with 200 or more kills a year ago, led by Brittini Wangerin (311) and Stephanie Meschke (296). … Ashley Kahlow and Jordyn Wentland shared the brunt of the setting duties last season, with Kahlow dishing out a team-best 545 assists, with Wentland close behind with 522. … Wangerin also led the team in aces with 44. She was one of seven Wildcats with 10 or more service aces a year ago. … Along with Potehn's 632 digs, SCU also had two other players — Kelsey Wirtanen (360) and Wangerin (344) — with 300 or more digs. … Eight of SCU's 15 wins came on the Wildcats' home court. St. Catherine was 7-12 away from home a year ago.

Scouting The Gustavus Gusties:
2013 Roster | 2012 Final Statistics | 2013 Schedule
The Gusties are coming off a 10-18 season a year ago, and will hit the floor without the services of graduated All-MIAC first-teamer Emily Phillips. … Phillips led the team in kills (273), attack percentage (.234) and kills-per-set (2.55 kps). … Becca Woodstra finished second to Phillips in kills (264) and was one of just two players — Kelie Nett was the other — to play in all 109 sets a year ago. … Kendra Weege and Taylor Meurer shared the setting duties a year ago, with Weege dishing out a team-high 642 assists, while Meurer added 302. … Kelle Nett owned a team-leading 36 aces in 2012, while Paige Breneman amassed a team-leading 476 digs. … The Gusties were just 2-10 in three-set matches last season, while going 4-3 in four-setters and 5-4 in matches that went the maximum five sets. … Two of GAC's 10 wins came on the Gusties' home court — Gustavus was 2-4 at home and 8-14 on the road.

Scouting The Dominican Stars:
2013 Roster | 2012 Final Statistics | 2013 Schedule
The Stars are coming off a 24-9 season a year ago that included just their second NCAA Division III Tournament appearance in program history. … The Stars will take the court this year without graduated senior Jacy Lawrence, an honorable-mention All-American a year ago and a three-time First-Team All-NAC selection. … Lawrence finished 2012 with a team-best 404 kills, with Claire Dezelski a close second with 329. … Lawrence — who also led the team with 34 aces a year ago — closed out her career third on the Stars' all-time kills list with 1,329, while also ranking 10th all-time in blocks (200). … Christina Wilson and Jessica Guerrieri shared the setting duties for Dominican, with Wilson tallying 720 assists, while Guerrieri adding 442. … The Stars had seven players record 100 or more digs last season, led by Liz Yakey with 520 and Dezelski with 314. … Dominican lost just once on its home court last year, going 11-1. … Dominican went 3-4 against teams in the AVCA Top 25 and 2-3 against teams in the Top 10 a year ago. … Stars coach Ryan Baumgartner was honored with a 2013 AVCA "Thirty Under 30" Award. Baumgartner has guided the Stars to a 52-14 record over the last two seasons, winning the 2011 Northern Athletics Conference regular season championship and guiding the Stars to the NCAA tournament a year ago.

Scouting The UW-Stout Blue Devils:
2013 Roster | 2012 Final Statistics | 2013 Schedule
The Blue Devils are coming off a 15-14 season a year ago, but will enter 2013 trying to fill the void of graduated senior Kate Mitukowski, a First-Team All-WIAC selection a year ago. … Mitukowski led the team in kills for the third time in her four seasons in 2012, collecting 328 kills. … Morgan Denny finished second to Miktukowski with 262 kills, while Molly Brion also eclipsed the 200-kill plateau with 218. … Karley Wiensch accounted for 984 of the team's 1,090 assists. … Gabby Mastronardo delivered 32 aces, leading six Blue Devils who recorded at least 20 aces a year ago. … As a team, the Blue Devils notched 1,805 digs, led by Megan Shannahan (390), Mikutowski (320) and Wiensch (310). … Denny led the team in blocks for the second straight season, finishing with 101 in 2012. … UW-Stout needed four sets to record eight of its 15 wins a year ago, while going 6-8 in three-set matches and 1-2 in five-setters. … The Blue Devils went 6-2 on their home court, while finishing 9-12 on the road.

Scouting The St Scholastica Saints:
2013 Roster | 2012 Final Statistics | 2013 Schedule
St. Scholastica finished 17-13 a year ago, falling one win short of a second straight trip to the NCAA Division III national tournament. … CSS will be without the services of graduated senior Anna Zyvoloski, a two-time UMAC Player of the Year and a Second Team AVCA All-American in 2012. … In just three years in a CSS uniform, Zyvoloski finished fourth all-time with 1,445 career kills — including a team-best 454 kills a year ago. … The Saints return just four players that played at least 80 sets last season, led by Kortney Morrin, an honorable-mention All-UMAC selection in her first season in a CSS uniform last year. Morrin finished second on the team with 186 kills. … Erika Birkeland boasted a team-best 901 assists a year ago, while Jenny Kienzle was the team-leader in aces with 34. … CSS boasted four players with 300 or more digs last season — Kienzle (379), Danielle Benusa (349), Tannyr Heyl (333) and Anna Zyvoloski (315). … The Saints finished 6-4 on their home court in 2012, while going 11-9 on the road. … Fourteen of CSS's 17 wins last season were 3-0 sweeps. The Saints went 1-6 in four-set matches and were 2-2 in five-setters. … CSS coach Dana Moore reached a coaching milestone in the team's first match, notching her 300th career win in a 3-0 victory over St. Lawrence.