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RIPON, Wis. — The Saint Mary's University volleyball team — coming off a pair of back-to-back 3-0 victories to open play at the Ripon Red Hawk Invitational on Friday — picked up right where they left off during Saturday's second day of the two-day event.

Literally.

The Cardinals racked up their third consecutive 3-0 victory — dropping St. Norbert in their first match of the day Saturday — then completed their 4-0 tournament run with a 3-1 triumph over host Ripon to push their winning streak to a school record-tying 11 straight matches.

SMU, which last won 11 in a row during the 2000 season — a year that was capped off by an NCAA Division III National Tournament appearance — had little trouble with St. Norbert in its first match of the day, disposing of the Green Knights 25-20, 25-18, 25-16.

The Cardinals jumped out to a 2-0 lead over Ripon wtih wins of 25-21, 25-15, before dropping their first set of the tournament, 25-22. SMU regrouped with a 25-22 win in Set 4 to ice the win — and the tournament title.

Alex Peterson (Harmony, Minn.) and Macki Fadness (Eau Claire, Wis.) led the way for the Cardinals against SNC, as Peterson recorded a team-best 12 kills and hit .300, while Fadness — coming off a career-best 17-kill effort against Concordia (Wis.) on Friday — chipped in 10 kills and a .308 attack percentage. Lexi Assimos (Northbrook, Ill.) dished out 36 assists and accounted for two of the team's five aces, with Lex Krogstad (Chicago, Ill.) tallying a team-leading 25 digs.

SMU boasted a trio of players with 10 or more kills, led by Molly Grover (Zumbrota, Minn.) with 13, while Peterson added 12 and Kenzie Lind (Rushford, Minn.) chipped in 10. Assimos recorded a match-high 41 assists and three aces, with Krogstad notching 30 digs.

The Cardinals (12-2 overall) return to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Tuesday, traveling to St. Paul, Minn., for a 7 p.m. match against Macalester. The showdown with the Scots is the first of three MIAC contests next week, as SMU will host Saint Benedict and Concordia on Friday and Saturday at the SMU Gym.