By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota volleyball team kicks off its 2018 schedule this weekend, hosting the annual Ground Round Sugar Loaf Classic at the Gostomski Fieldhouse.
 
The Sugar Loaf Classic Field:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (2017: 15-13 Overall), Dominican Stars (2017: 17-13 Overall), Luther Norse (2017: 16-10 Overall), Northland Lumberjills (2017: 7-20 Overall), Augustana Vikings (2017: 14-15 Overall), Edgewood Eagles (2017: 18-15 Overall),
 
The Sugar Loaf Classic Schedule:
Friday, August 31, 2018 * Court 1 | Live Stats
• Saint Mary's v. Dominican, 2 p.m. | Dominican v. Luther, 4 p.m. | Saint Mary's v. Augustana, 6 p.m.
Friday, August 31, 2018 * Court 2 | Live Stats
• Luther v. Northland, 2 p.m. | Augustana v. Edgewood, 4 p.m. | Edgewood v. Northland, 6 p.m.
Saturday, September 1, 2018 * Court 1 | Live Stats
• Saint Mary's v. Edgewood, 10 a.m. | Augustana v. Dominican, Noon | Saint Mary's v. Luther, 2 p.m.
Saturday, September 1, 2017 * Court 2 | Live Stats
• Northland v. Dominican, 10 a.m. | Edgewood v. Luther, Noon | Northland v. Augustana, 2 p.m.
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats: Court 1 * Court 2 | Tournament Scoreboard | GameDay Program
 
Last Action:
• This weekend's matches are the season-openers for all six teams participating in the Ground Round Sugar Loaf Classic.
 
Saint Mary's vs. Sugar Loaf Opponents—Their Last Meeting:
• vs. Dominican—August 30, 2013 * Winona, Minn.: After cruising to a 3-0 victory over Lakeland in their first match at the season-opening Ground Round Sugar Loaf Classic, the Cardinals could not shake off a slow start, falling to Dominican 3-1 | Recap
• vs. Augustana—October 5, 2013 * Winona, Minn.: Alex Peterson (Harmony, Minn.) recorded 12 kills, while Mary Nordick (Plymouth, Minn.) hit a team-best .500, as the Cardinals swept past Augustana 3-0 during the second day of the Cardinal Invitational | Recap
• vs. Edgewood—August 31, 2012 * Winona, Minn.: Saint Mary's opened play in the Ground Round Sugar Loaf Classic by beating the Eagles 3-0 — with all three sets being decided by the identical 25-23 score. Molly Grover (Zumbrota, Minn.) and Megan Leisen (Kellogg, Minn.) led the way for the Cardinals, collecting 11 and 10 kills, respectively | Recap
• vs. Luther—September 6, 2017 * Decorah, Iowa: Luther jumped out to a 2-0 lead and the Cardinals could not fully recover in falling 3-1. Luther came out swinging in the opening set, rolling to a 25-15 victory, and followed that up with a 25-20 victory in Set 2. Saint Mary's regrouped with a 25-21 win in the third set, but the Norse iced the win with a 25-16 victory in the fourth set | Recap
 
Cardinals Up Next:
• The Cardinals are back in action next Friday and Saturday, traveling to Stevens Point, Wis., to take part in the UW-Stevens Point Invitational. Saint Mary's will face UW-Stevens Point on Friday, before squaring off against Lakeland and Concordia (Wis.) on Saturday.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2018 Roster | 2018 Schedule | 2018 Statistics
• Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.)—an AVCA Second-Team All-American in 2016—collected her second straight First-Team All-MIAC honor in 2017. … Blattner closed out the season with a team-leading 312 kills, followed by Rachel Kedl (Lamberton, Minn. / 197), Sara Lind (Peterson, Minn. / 157), Linnaea Wallis (Dresser, Wis. / 144), and Gloria Kitange (Rochester, Minn. / 121). … Kitange and Kedl both posted career highs in kills in the Cardinals' 3-2 win over Central-Iowa on Sept. 2. Kitange led the way with a team-high 16 kills, one more than Kedl. … Brittney Hanson (Janesville, Minn.) and Lillian Braun (Kasson, Minn.) shared the setting duties all season, with Hanson boasting a team-leading 573 helpers, with Braun close behind with 473. … Hanson posted a season-high 38-assist effort against Lawrence on Sept. 16. … Braun's 31 assists vs. Carleton on Oct. 6 were a career high. … Hanson posted 20 or more assists in 15 of the Cardinals' 28 matches a year ago—including three matches of 30 or more helpers. Braun owned 10 matches of 20 or more assists this season. … Braun led the team with 39 aces, five more than Hanson. … Clare Tack boasted a team- and career-best 440 digs, while Hanson (252), Blattner (247), Braun (228), Carley Cronen (Kandiyohi, Minn. / 158), and Wallis (131) also eclipsed the 100-dig plateau. … Tack posted a career-high 38 digs against St. Catherine on Sept. 23 en route to earning MIAC Setter/Libero of the Week honors. … Tack's 38 digs vs. the Wildcats were the most in a match since Theresa Perrini recorded 41 against Augsburg on Oct. 24, 2008. … Cronen notched a career-best 22 digs in Saint Mary's 3-1 win over Wisconsin Lutheran on Sept. 8. … The Cardinals boasted a season-high four players with double-doubles against Carleton on Oct. 6. Blattner led the way with 12 kills and 13 digs, while Braun and Hanson added 31-assist/15-dig and 13-assist/17-dig efforts, respectively, and Tack chipped in her first collegiate double-double with 10 assists and a team-high 25 digs. … Blattner and Braun led the team with 10 double-doubles, two more than Hanson. … Nine of Saint Mary's 15 wins last season came during three, season-high three-match winning streaks. … The Cardinals played five matches against nationally ranked teams last season—beating #8 Washington (Mo.) University, while falling to #7 Northwestern, #9 UW-Whitewater, #19 Gustavus, and #20 St. Thomas. … The Cardinals picked up their first win in program history against Washington (Mo.) University at the UW-Oshkosh Tournament on Sept. 8, handing the eighth-ranked Bears a 3-2 setback. … With its 3-2 win over Bethel on Sept. 12, Saint Mary's snapped a three-match losing streak vs. the Royals—dating back to a 3-1 win in the opening round of the 2014 MIAC Playoffs. … Saint Mary's 3-2 setback against UW-La Crosse on Oct. 18 was just the third loss on their home court for the Cardinals, who finished 7-3 at the Saint Mary's Gym and 8-10 on the road—including 5-3 in neutral-court matches. … The Cardinals played nine, five-set matches last season—beating Carthage, Central-Iowa, No. 8 Washington (Mo.) University, Bethel, St. Catherine, and Carleton, while falling to UW-La Crosse, UW-Oshkosh, and Lawrence. Saint Mary's played just one five-setter in 2016. … With their 3-1 showing at the Ripon Red Hawk Classic on Sept. 15-16, the Cardinals finished 3-1 in each of their three regular-season tournaments a year ago. … With their 3-1 performance at the season-opening Ground Round Sugar Loaf Classic, the Cardinals are now 7-1 in their last two Classic appearances—and 13-3 in their last four. … Saint Mary's 3-0 victory over UW-Stout on Sept. 1 was the first collegiate coaching win for Cardinal head coach Jackie Kiecker.
 
Scouting The Dominican Stars:
2018 Roster | 2017 Final Statistics | 2018 Schedule
• The Stars are coming off a 17-13 season a year ago, including an 8-3 effort in the NACC. … The Stars reached the semifinals of the NACC Tournament, beating Finlandia 3-0, before falling to Concordia (Wis.) 3-0 in the tournament semifinals. … The 2018 season will be the first under new head coach Cameron Andrew, who was an assistant under Brittney Sisk a year ago. … Anastasia Labadessa—the reigning NACC Freshman of the Year—returns to lead the Stars this season. A year ago, Labadessa amassed 901 assists, 106 kills, and 294 digs to go along with a team-best 48 aces. … Kendyl Todd closed out 2017 as the team-leader with 332 kills. … Todd was one of six Stars to amass 100 or more kills a year ago, being joined by Elin Ream (193), Alex Kisten (175), Gillian Jones (170), Stephanie Cole (145), and Labadessa (110). … Megan Parker (33), Jones (29), Summer Smith (20), and Lauren LaVigne (20) joined Labadessa (48) with 20 or more aces last season. … Parker finished 2017 with a team-leading 475 digs, followed by Labadessa with 302, while Cole was the team-leader with 97 blocks. … Seven of Dominican's 17 wins were 3-0 sweeps. The Stars also recorded six four-set victories, while winning four other matches that went the maximum five sets.
 
Scouting The Luther Norse:
2018 Roster | 2017 Final Statistics | 2018 Schedule
• The Norse enter this weekend's Sugar Loaf Classic on the heels of a 16-10 showing a year ago—including a 6-2 record in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC). … Luther qualified for the IIAC Tournament in 2017, falling to Buena Vista 3-0 in the opening round. … Luther opens play with a new head coach at the helm. Brittney Sisk was named Luther's head coach in December, 2017, taking over for Danielle Lynch. … The Norse return a pair of First-Team All-IIAC selections in Emma Veum and Sam Sixta, while Anna Larson was an honorable-mention selection. … Veum closed out 2017 as the team-leader in kills with 275 (2.81 kps), one more than Larson (2.77 kps), while Karissa Kime also eclipsed the 200-kill plateau, finishing the year with 241. … Sixta accounted for 932 of the team's 1,109 assists in 2017 and heads into her junior year with 1,892 career assists. … Luther boasted five players with 20 or more service aces, led by Kime and Sixta with 37 each. … Natalie Cote finished the year as the team's dig leader with 424. She was one of five Norse with 200 or more digs, being joined by Kime (325), Larson (279), Sixta (278), and Morgan Towne (207). … Eight of Luther's 16 wins were decided in four sets. Luther went 8-2 in four-set matches, while boasting a 6-4 mark in three-set contests and going 2-4 in matches extended to a fifth set.
 
Scouting The Northland Lumberjills:
2018 Roster | 2017 Final Statistics | 2018 Schedule
• The Lumberjills are coming off a 7-20 season in 2017, including a 4-12 showing in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC). … Northland closed out the year with three players—Camielle Eastburn (191), Bethany Best (166), and Justine Litherland (151)—recording 100 or more kills. … Hannah Hitchcock dished out a team-best 441 assists a year ago, with Taylor Wiegert chipping in 119 helpers. … Along with her 151 kills, Litherland also led the team in service aces with 25, two more than both Hitchcock and Caitlyn Severson. … The Lumberjills closed out 2017 with six players collecting 100 or more digs, led by Severson (264) and Hitchcock (205). … Four of Northland's seven wins in 2017 were 3-0 sweeps. The Lumberjills also collected a pair of four-set victories and one five-set win. On the flip side, 16 of Northland's 20 losses were decided in three sets.
 
Scouting The Edgewood Eagles:
2018 Roster | 2017 Final Statistics | 2018 Schedule
• The Eagles boasted an 18-15 overall record a year ago, including an 8-3 record in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC). … The Eagles went 1-1 in the NACC Tournament, sweeping Wisconsin Lutheran 3-0, before falling to 25^th-ranked and second-seeded Aurora 3-0 in the semifinals. … Edgewood's loss to Aurora marked the ninth straight season in which the Eagles have reached the NACC Tournament semifinals. … Edgewood's 18 wins marked the eighth straight 18-win season for the Eagles. … Edgewood opens 2018 without the services of graduated seniors Savannah Koester, Haley Schwenn, Renee Meister, Emily Chaussee, and Mackenzie Hannan, who amassed 83 wins, one NACC championship, two NACC semifinal appearances and two NACC Tournament runner-up finishes. … Koester and Meister closed out their senior campaigns as the team leaders with 303 kills each. Koester and Meister were two of six Eagles with 100 or more kills, being joined by Erika Van Engen (235), Mackenzie Doherty (171), Tori Wiskow (134), and Hannan (118). … Schwenn boasted a team-leading 635 assists, followed by Alex Zapuchlak (392) and Brittany Sager (163). … Edgewood finished 2018 with six players collecting 20 or more service aces, led by Koester with 81 and Sarah Uczen with 55. … Uczen finished the year with a team-best 530 digs, while Schwenn also eclipsed the 200-dig plateau, finishing the year with 231. … Eight of Edgewood's 18 wins in 2017 were 3-0 sweeps. The Eagles also boasted five four-set and five five-set victories. … Edgewood finished the year 5-1 in matches extended to a fifth set.
 
Scouting The Augustana Vikings:
2018 Roster | 2017 Final Statistics | 2018 Schedule
• The Vikings enter Ground Round Sugar Loaf Classic play coming off a 14-15 season a year ago, including a 3-5 record in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). … The Vikings kick off 2018 without the services of graduated seniors Claire Martin, Maissie Musick, and Emily Westermeyer. Martin played in all 108 sets a year ago, leading the team in digs with 518, while finishing second in aces with 28. Westermeyer, meanwhile, recorded a team-high 312 kills, and Musick posted team-highs in aces (36) and block assists (67). … Along with Westermeyer's team-best 312 kills, the Eagles boasted three other players—Taryn VanEarwage (216), Grace Biaobok (186), and Maissie Musick (133)—with 100 or more kills last season. … McKenzie Zambrano and Brooke Keegan shared the setting duties for the Vikings a year ago, dishing out 510 and 365 assists, respectively. … Augustana finished the year with five players amassing 10 or more service aces, led by Musick with 36, Claire Martin with 28, and VanEarwage with 21. … Martin and VanEarwage led the team in digs with 512 and 433, respectively, and were two of five Vikings with 100 or more digs. … Seven of Augustana's 14 wins were 3-0 sweeps, while the Vikings added three four-set wins and four five-set victories. On the flip side, the Vikings were swept in nine of their 15 losses.