By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — It was a good news, bad news type of night for the Saint Mary's University volleyball team.
 
The bad news … the Cardinals could not get their game on track in dropping a 3-0 decision to Northwestern.
 
The good news … the Cardinals' final nonconference match of the season against the Eagles Friday had no affect on Saint Mary's conference tournament post-season push.
 
Saint Mary's — winners of three of their last four matches heading into Friday's showdown — started strong, but faded against the high-powered Eagles, dropping the first set of their nonconference match 25-21, only to struggle in sets 2 and 3, falling 25-10 and 25-18.
 
Rachel Kedl (Lamberton, Minn.) led the way for the Cardinal offense, recording 10 kills, while Linnaea Wallis (Dresser, Wis.) chipped in nine. Lillian Braun (Mantorville, Minn.) dished out 28 assists — all but one of the Cardinals' 29 helpers in the three-set match — with DeJaye Baab (Wabasha, Minn.) and Lexi Barth (Byron, Minn.) delivering 18 and 10 digs, respectively.
 
Jenny Fuglestad finished with a match-high 12 kills and Sydney Schwitters added 33 assists for the Eagles.
 
The Cardinals (14-11 overall) — sitting just one game back of the sixth and final conference tournament berth with three matches remaining — are back in action on Saturday, when they begin their playoff push with a 3 p.m. The Eagles (19-7 overall), meanwhile, hit the road on Saturday, heading to Morris, Minn., for a 3 p.m. matchup against UM-Morris.