Box Score  | GameDay Preview

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University volleyball team had plenty of company following Friday's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match against 12th-ranked Saint Benedict.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, that wasn't a good thing.

The Cardinals became the Blazers' 14th victim this season — and the 13th to lose in straight sets.

Saint Benedict gave SMU a first-hand look at why the Blazers' are ranked among the nation's best, cruising their 14th win in 15 matches, 25-19, 25-21, 25-19 at the SMU Gym.

"We did not play very well — and against a team like Saint Benedict, you have to be at the top of your game," said SMU coach Mike Lester. "We came out a bit flat, and just never recovered."

Not that the Blazers ever gave SMU a chance to recover.

CSB control the match from start to finish — using a 13-4 run to erase a 15-12 SMU lead in the opening set, before using a pair of mid-set runs in Sets 2 and 3 to ice the victory.

Kenzie Lind (Rushford, Minn.) recorded a team-high 11 kills for SMU (1-2 MIAC, 12-4 overall), with Alex Peterson (Harmony, Minn.) chipping in 10. Lexi Assimos (Northbrook, Ill.) finished with 22 of the Cardinals' 29 assists, while Lex Krogstad (Chicago, Ill.) and Jordan Wolfe (Wabasha, Minn.) tallied 21 and 12 digs, respectively.

Mary Franz and Lex Rinde led the way for the Blazers' offense, tallying 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Taya Kockelman — the nation's assist leader — dished out 36 assists for the Blazers, with Chelsea Rachel's 17 digs leading four CSB players with 10 or more digs.

The Cardinals are right back in action on Saturday, as SMU hosts Concordia in a 3 p.m. conference match at the SMU Gym.