LA CROSSE, Wis. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota volleyball team got off to a quick start in its nonconference match against UW-La Crosse Wednesday, winning the first and third sets.
 
That, however, would be the extent of the Cardinals' success, as UW-La Crosse rallied from that 2-1 deficit with a 25-18 win in Set 4, then outlasted Saint Mary's 15-13 in the fifth and decisive set to earn the 3-2 victory.
 
Alex Peterson (Harmony, Minn.) led the Cardinals' offensive attack, cranking out a season-high 23 kills — just two kills shy of her career best — while Cassidy Bittle (Winona, Minn.) and Molly Grover (Zumbrota, Minn.) chipped in 13 and eight kills, respectively.
 
Tayler MacVey (Dodge Center, Minn.) finished with a team-best 20 assists, two more than teammate Brittney Hanson (Janesville, Iowa), while Lex Krogstd (Chicago, Ill.) notched a team-best 26 digs..
 
Ida Steingas and Jill Entinger tallied 12 kills and Jaclyn Barrette dished out 30 assists for the Eagles (6-3 overall).
 
Saint Mary's (5-4 overall) is off until next Wednesday, when the Cardinals travel to St. Paul, Minn., to kick off Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play with a 7 p.m. match against defending conference champion St. Thomas.