ST. PAUL, Minn. — For the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota volleyball team, putting in a little extra work has been the norm this season.
 
Of the Cardinals' first 15 matches, 12 have required at least four sets—with six contests extended to a fifth and final set.
 
Make that 13 of their first 16 matches—and seven five-setters.
 
The Cardinals needed to bounce back from a mid-match lapse to outlast St. Catherine 3-2 in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matchup at Butler Center.
 
Saint Mary's was in complete control early against the Wildcats, winning Sets 1 and 25-23 and 25-18. The Wildcats decided to make the Cardinals work for the victory, pulling even with 25-21 and 25-18 victories in the third and fourth sets to pull even, 2-2.
 
In the fifth set, the Cardinals pulled away late, using a set-ending 7-4 run to turn an 8-8 nailbiter into a 15-12 Saint Mary's victory.
 
Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) led the way for the Cardinals, recording a team- and match-high 18 kills, while also adding 17 digs for her seventh double-double of the season. Rachel Kedl (Lamberton, Minn.) chipped in 11 kills, while Brittney Hanson (Janesville, Iowa) delivered 26 assists and Lillian Braun (Kasson, Minn.) added 23.
 
Clare Tack (St. Charles, Ill.) finished with a season- and career-high 38 digs, leading five Cardinals with 10 or more digs. Along with Tack and Blattner, Saint Mary's also got 14 digs from Braun, 13 from Hanson, and 11 from Linnaea Wallis (Dresser, Wis.).
 
Mackenzie Peper finished with a team-high 12 digs and Meagan Schwarzrock finished with 26 assists for the Wildcats (0-3 MIAC, 6-8 overall).
 
The Cardinals (2-1 MIAC, 11-5 overall) are now off until next Friday, when they entertain Saint Benedict in a 7 p.m. conference showdown at the Saint Mary's Gym.