Box Score  | GameDay Preview

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. — Saint Mary's University volleyball coach Mike Lester could not have asked for a better start in the Cardinals' Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference-opener against Bethel.

Scratch that — Lester could not have asked for a better finish.

Bethel may have been faster out of the starting blocks, but it was the Cardinals who had the better finishing kick, as SMU used some come-from-behind heroics — including scoring the final three points in the decisive fourth set — to beat the Royals 3-1.

"What a great match — both teams played very well," Lester said. "Give Mary Nordick and Molly Grover a ton of credit, they really had solid matches for us.

"Defensively, we were outstanding," Lester added. "For us to record 84 digs in four sets is pretty impressive."

The Cardinals — who pushed their winning streak to seven straight with the conference-opening win — trailed 18-16 in the opening set, before rattling off nine of the set's final 12 points for the Set 1 win.

The Royals returned the favor with a 25-21 win of their own in the second set, while SMU regained control with a 25-20 triumph in Set 3. Bethel appeared to be in control in the fourth set, holding a 23-22 advantage, only to have the Cardinals respond by scoring the final three points to seal the win.

Mary Nordick (Plymouth, Minn.) and Molly Grove (Zumbrota, Minn.) shared the team lead with 10 kills each, while Grover also hit .421 — collecting her 10 kills on 19 attempts with just two errors. Lexi Assimos (Northbrook, Ill.) chipped in nine kills, while dishing out a team-high 33 assists and adding 16 digs.

Lex Krogstad (Chicago, Ill.) tallied 21 digs to lead four SMU players in double figures. Assimos and Morgan Thomas (Palos Park, Ill.) each finished with 16 digs, with Jordan Wolfe (Wabasha, Minn.) adding 13.

Carlee Hoppe recorded a match-high 18 kills, while Ashlyn Hucky and Katie Lubben finished with 25 and 23 assists, respectively, in the losing effort for the Cardinals.

SMU (1-0 MIAC, 8-2 overall) returns to action this weekend, taking part in the Ripon Invitational in Ripon, Wis. The Cardinals will face Lakeland and Concordia (Wis.) on Friday, and then square off against St. Norbert and Ripon on Saturday.