NORTHFIELD, Minn. — After having to rally from a 2-0 deficit to beat Macalester 3-2 last Saturday, the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota volleyball team took a little different approach in its Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match against Carleton.
 
With very favorable results.
 
There would be no need for a late comeback against the Knights, as Saint Mary's sandwiched a pair of 25-20 wins around a 25-17 Set 2 victory en route to a 3-0 conference win over Carleton Wednesday.
 
With the win, the Cardinals remained deadlocked with Bethel in the fight for the No. 2 seed in the upcoming conference playoffs with 8-2 MIAC records. Saint Mary's closes out its regular-season on Saturday at regular-season conference champion Gustavus, while the Royals ends with a home match against Augsburg.
 
The Cardinals (19-8 overall) need to beat Gustavus and have Augsburg knock off Bethel in order to secure the No. 2 seed—and the all-important first-round bye. A loss to the Gusties, or a win by Bethel, and the Royals would finish second. If Bethel secures the No. 2 seed, Saint Mary's would finish no lower than fourth and would host a first-round MIAC Playoff match on Tuesday.
 
Macki Fadness (Eau Claire, Wis.) led the Cardinals' offensive charge against Carleton Wednesday, collecting a match-high 15 kills, while Jenna Sullivan (Woodbury, Minn.) added nine and Molly Urban (Roseville, Minn.) chipped in seven. Tayler MacVey (Dodge Center, Minn.) and Brittney Hanson (Janesville, Iowa) combined for 40 assists—22 from MacVey and 18 from Hanson—with Sullivan adding a team-best 11 digs. Lex Krogstad (Chicago, Ill.) chipped in nine digs and four service aces and Cassidy Bittle (Winona, Minn.) finished with a team-leading four blocks.
 
Lucy Stevens collected a team-best 11 kills and Samantha Chao dished out 26 assists in the losing effort for Carleton (4-6 MIAC, 13-9 overall).