By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University volleyball team heads to St. Paul, Minn., for a pair of matches this weekend. The Cardinals step out of conference play for the final time on Friday, heading to Northwestern for a 7 p.m. nonconference battle against the Eagles, before heading across town to St. Catherine's Butler Center for a 3 p.m. MIAC showdown the following afternoon
 
The Matchups:
Friday, October 25, 2019 * Ericksen Center * St. Paul, Minn. * 7 p.m.
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (14-10 Overall) at Northwestern Eagles (18-7 Overall)
Saturday, October 26, 2019 * Butler Center * St. Paul, Minn. * 3 p.m.
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (4-4 MIAC, 14-10 Overall) at St. Catherine Wildcats (2-5 MIAC, 12-9 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Northwestern: Live Stats * Live Video 
• St. Catherine: Live Stats * Live Video
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's — October 23, 2019 * Winona, Minn.: The Cardinals had their three-match winning streak snapped, as Augsburg overcame a 1-0 deficit, rattling off three straight set victories — including rallying from a 24-17 deficit to win the fourth set, 27-25 — in dealing Saint Mary's a 3-1 MIAC setback at Si Melby Hall | Recap
• Northwestern — October 23, 2019 * St. Paul, Minn.: The Eagles locked up a UMAC Tournament berth and avenged a loss to UW-Superior last season — a loss that ended UNW's 65-match conference winning streak — rolling to a 3-1 win at Ericksen Center | Recap
• St. Catherine — October 23, 2019 * St. Paul, Minn.: The Wildcats collected their sixth straight win over Macalester — and did so in convincing fashion, rolling to a 3-0 MIAC win at Leonard Center | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Northwestern — Their Last Meeting:
• October 12, 2018 • St. Paul, Minn.: Saint Mary's got off to a strong start, winning the opening set 25-21, but the Eagles rallied with 25-18 and 25-13 wins to grab a 2-1 lead. The Cardinals answered, winning set four 25-21 to force a fifth set — which Northwestern won 15-10 | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. St. Catherine — Their Last Meeting:
• September 22, 2018 • Winona, Minn.: In a four-set marathon in which not one set was decided by more than four points, the Cardinals picking up their first conference win of the season, outlasting the visiting Wildcats 3-1 at the Saint Mary's Gym | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: Following this weekend's matches at Northwestern and St. Catherine, the Cardinals are back on the road — and back in MIAC play — on Saturday, heading to St. Catherine for a 3 p.m. matchup against the Wildcats.
• Northwestern: Following this weekend's matches vs. Saint Mary's and at New Ulm, the Eagles return to Ericksen Center on Wednesday, hosting UM-Morris in a 7 p.m. UMAC matchup.
• St. Catherine: The Wildcats hit the road on Wednesday, traveling to Augsburg's Si Melby Hall in Minneapolis, Minn., for a 7 p.m. conference showdown against the Auggies.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2019 Roster | 2019 Schedule | 2019 Statistics
• Friday's match against Northwestern is the second of five consecutive road contests for the Cardinals, who are 9-5 away from the Saint Mary's Gym this season. … The Cardinals' 3-1 loss to No. 13 Augsburg on Wednesday snapped their three-match winning streak — including victories over then-No. 5 Saint Benedict and then-No. 23 St. Olaf. … After losing the opening set in all three of their wins during their recent three-match winning streak, the Cardinals won the first set in Wednesday's 3-1 loss to Augsburg. … Lillian Braun (Mantorville, Minn.) recorded her team-leading sixth double-double against Augsburg Wednesday, posting 42 assists and 12 digs. … Lexy Barth (Byron, Minn.) and Linnaea Wallis (Dresser, Wis.) are second to Braun with five double-doubles each. … Barth notched her first collegiate double-double against Marian on Sept. 13, posting 11 kills and adding a career-best 12 digs, while Elise Amerongen (Woodbury, Minn.) also posted her first double-double in a Cardinal uniform with a 10-kill, 17-dig showing against Beloit on Sept. 14. … Barth enters this weekend's matches against Northwestern and St. Catherine leading the team in kills with 240, followed by Wallis (223), Rachel Kedl (Lamberton, Minn. / 182), and Daynalyn Jostock (Millville, Minn. / 180). … With her 42 assists against Augsburg Wednesday, Braun pushed her team-leading total to 949 through 23 matches. … Braun has eclipsed the 50-assist barrier five times and 10 times during her collegiate career. … Braun's 65 assists vs. Concordia on Oct. 12 were two short of her school-record 67-assist effort against Hamline Sept. 18. … Braun, who owned a single-season career-high 1,098 assists a year ago — the most by a Cardinal in a season since 2013, when Lexi Assimos dished out 1,197 — has posted 20 or more assists in 50 of her last 51 matches and has recorded 20 or more assists 67 times in her four-year career. … Braun accounted for 42 of the team's 44 assists against Augsburg Wednesday. … Braun heads into this weekend's matches against Northwestern and St. Catherine needing just 56 assists to become the fourth player in program history to reach 3,000 career assists — and the first since Brittney Cherwinka closed out her collegiate career with 3,164 in 2010. … The Cardinals have recorded 143 service aces this season, led by Braun (23) and DeJaye Baab (Wabasha, Minn. / 22). … Baab owns a team-high 461 digs through 24 matches, while Braun is second with 203. … Baab recorded a career-high 42 digs in the Cardinals' loss to Hamline on Sept. 18 — it was the most digs in a match since Theresa Perrini had 41 against Augsburg in 2008, and was just six digs shy of Perrini's single-match school-record 48, set against Loras, also during the 2008 season. … Saint Mary's posted a season-high four players — Wallis (18), Barth (17), Erin Lime (Lino Lakes, Minn. / 14), and Jostock (12) — with 10 or more kills against Concordia on Oct. 12, while DeJaye Baab (Wabasha, Minn.) led a season-best five Cardinals in double figures with 28 digs. … Lime's 14 kills against Concordia on Oct. 12 were a season high. … Hannah Skroch (Prior Lake, Minn.) delivered a career-best 15 digs against Saint Benedict on Oct. 11 and equaled that mark against Concordia the following day. … Jostock recorded a career-best 18 kills in Saint Mary's 3-1 win over Augustana on Sept. 28. … Coral Anderson (Rogers, Minn.) equaled her career high with 14 kills against Beloit on Sept. 14, while Hope Miner (Prescott, Wis.) recorded a career-best 11 kills against the Buccaneers. … Jordan Meyers (Eyota, Minn.) owned a career-high 18 digs and Mandy Schmidt (Mitchell, S.D.) dished out a career-high 35 assists against Beloit on Sept. 14, while Cronen notched a career-best 15 digs against Ripon that same day. … Wallis' 17 kills against UW-Superior on Aug. 30 and 19 digs vs. UW-River Falls the following day were both career highs. … With their win over St. Olaf on Oct. 19, eight of the Cardinals' last 12 victories have been 3-1 decisions. … Saint Mary's owns four, three-set wins, while going 6-1 in four-setters and adding two, five-set victory. On the flip side, six of Saint Mary's 10 losses have been 3-0 sweeps. The Cardinals have also dropped two, five-set matches. … With their 2-2 showing at this year's season-opening Ground Round Sugar Loaf Classic, the Cardinals are now 13-3 in their last four Sugar Loaf Classics, while going 19-5 in their last six.
 
Scouting The Northwestern Eagles:
2019 Roster | 2019 Schedule | 2019 Statistics
• Friday's match against Saint Mary's is the second of back-to-back home matches for the Eagles, who are 7-1 at Ericksen Center this season. … With their win over UW-Superior Wednesday, the Eagles pushed their winning streak to seven straight. … Jenay Fuglestad heads into this weekend's matches against Saint Mary's and UM-Morris boasting a team-leading 268 kills, seven more than Kalley Schwitters. Kendra Hardy (177), Anna Gasch (125), and Solell Newland (106) have also recorded 100 or more kills this season. … Sydney Schwitters has amassed a team-leading 817 assists, while Hope Kapelki has chipped in 106 helpers. … Northwestern has served up 173 aces through 25 matches, led by Lucy Pelzel (41), Kalley Schwitters (34), and Kate Rogers (26). … The Eagles boast four players — Marylyn Schrover (443), Kalley Schwitters (272), Sydney Schwitters (210), and Rogers (182) — with 100 or more digs. … The Eagles have posted 11 3-0 sweeps this season — including six during their current seven-match winning streak. … Northwestern has been swept in five of their seven losses this season.  … Friday's match against Saint Mary's is the 11^th match against a team from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for the Eagles, who have already faced Bethel (L, 3-0), Concordia (3-0), Saint Benedict (L, 3-0; L, 3-1), Carleton (W, 3-1), St. Catherine (L, 3-0), Hamline (W, 3-0), Gustavus (W, 3-0), St. Olaf (L, 3-0), and St. Thomas (L, 3-0).
 
Scouting The St. Catherine Wildcats:
2019 Roster | 2019 Schedule | 2019 Statistics
• This weekend's matches against Hamline and Saint Mary's are the final two home contests for the Wildcats, who are 2-3 at Butler Center this season. … Wednesday's victory over Macalester was the Wildcats' 10^th 3-0 win of the season. … St. Catherine heads into this weekend's matches vs. Hamline and Saint Mary's having won two of their last three — sandwiching 3-0 wins over Carleton and Macalester around a 3-0 loss to St. Thomas. … Emma Nelson heads into the weekend boasting a team-leading 212 kills. Nelson is one of five Wildcats with 100 or more kills through 21 matches, being joined by Erin Cutts (172), Lauren Isaacson (167), Erin Tebben (136), and Bryana Leverentz (135). … Marissa Gilbertson and Abbi Harker have shared the setting duties for the Wildcats, with Gilbertson dishing out 447 assists, while Harker has added 356 helpers. … Nelson and Harker share the team lead with 25 service aces, one more than Cutts and five in front of Grace Amacher. … St. Catherine has two players — Nelson 333) and Amacher (330) — with 300 or more digs, while Isaacson (149), Harker (139), and Gilbertson (116) have all eclipsed the 100-dig plateau.