• FOR THE RECORD: Saint Mary's heads into Saturday's conference match at Concordia sporting a 7-15 overall record — including a 3-3 conference mark.
• FRIDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS: Ciarra McNally (Lewiston, Minn.) led the Cardinals with 18 kills and nine digs, while Mandy Schmidt (Mitchell, S.D.) tallied 27 assists and 12 digs. DeJaye Baab (Wabasha, Minn.) posted a team-high 17 digs and Hannah Skroch (Savage, Minn.) chipped in 12.
• END OF THE ROAD: Saturday's match at Concordia is the final road contest of the season for the Cardinals — who played their first 17 matches of the season on the road. Saint Mary's will close out the regular-season with home conference matches against Macalester, Bethel, St. Olaf, and Gustavus.
• CAREER PERFORMANCES: McNally — who recorded a program-record 32 kills in the Cardinals' 3-2 victory against Carleton on Sept. 15 — notched a career-high 18 digs in the Cardinals' 3-1 win over St. Scholastica on Oct. 1. … McNally's 32 kills against Carleton were not only a career-high, but also a single-match, program record, breaking the previous mark of 31, set by Brandi Blattner on Oct. 21, 2016. … Braidyn Ruetten (Holmen, Wis.) and Pigorsch each turned in career performances against Carroll on Sept. 24., with Ruetten pounded out a career-high 17 kills, while Pigorsch added a career-best 14. … Amerongen posted a career-best 13 kills in the Cardinals' 3-1 win over Westminster (Mo.) on Sept. 17. … Faith Van Erp (Sartell, Minn.) racked up a career-high 19 kills in the Cardinals' 3-2 loss to Marian on Sept. 11.
• DOUBLE-DOUBLES: Schmidt picked up her team-leading sixth double-double of the season against Saint Benedict on Friday, posting 27 assists and 12 digs. McNally, meanwhile, posted her fifth double-double of the season with her 14-kill, 11-dig effort against UW-La Crosse last Tuesday. Clem posted career-highs in both assists (30) and digs (10) en route to her first collegiate double-double against Carleton on Sept. 15.
• ON THE ATTACK: McNally has recorded at least 10 kills 13 times this season — including four matches of 20 of more kills — and enters Saturday's match against Concordia with a team-best 265 kills. Ruetten is second on the team with 144 kills, followed closely by Van Erp with 142 and Elise Amerongen (Lake Elmo, Minn.) with 100.
• GIVING AN ASSIST: Schmidt and Clem have shared the setting duties this season. Schmidt owns a team-leading 459 helpers, while Clem has tallied 211. … With her season-high 38 assists vs. Carroll on Sept. 24, Schmidt has posted four matches with 30 or more assists, while recording at least 20 helpers in a match 12 times.
• DIGGING IT: Baab has led the team in digs in 17 of SMU's 22 matches — including a season-high 29-dig effort in SMU's 3-1 win over St. Scholastica on Oct. 1. Baab enters Saturday's conference match at Concordia leading the team with 317 digs. … Baab has compiled a total of 1,465 career digs, ranking her fourth all-time.
• SERVING UP ACES: Schmidt and Clem head into SMU's match against the Eagles as the team's "ace" servers, posting 26 and 25 aces, respectively, followed by McNally (15), Baab (13), Grace Gilles (Apple Valley, Minn. / 12), and Ruetten (11).
• LEAGUE-LEADERS: McNally's 265 kills rank her No. 2 in the MIAC, while her 3.96 kills-per-set rank No. 1. Baab is sitting No. 4 in digs (300).
• STREAK SNAPPERS: With their 3-1 win over St. Scholastica on Oct. 1, the Cardinals put an end to their season-high six-match losing streak. SMU's 3-0 loss to Hamline on Oct. 8, meanwhile, put an end to SMU's two-match winning streak.
• GOING.THE DISTANCE: The Cardinals' 3-2 loss to Carroll on Sept. 24 was their third five-set match of the season. SMU was also extended to a fifth set in beating Carleton and falling to Marian. Saint Mary's is 3-9 in three-set matches, while going 3-3 in matches decided in four sets. |
• FOR THE RECORD: The Cobbers enter Saturday's showdown against Saint Mary's sitting at 6-14 overall, while owning an 0-6 record in conference play.
• FRIDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS: Anna Brakke recorded 18 kills and added 21 digs, but it was not enough, as Carleton outlasted the Cobbers 15-12 in the fifth set in dealing CC a 3-2 setback.
• LATE-SEASON SWOON: Concordia is looking to break out of its October slump. With Friday's 3-2 loss to Carleton, the Cobbers saw their losing streak climb to four straight. CC has dropped five of its six October matches this season. CC's only win in the month of October was a 3-0 victory over Crown on Oct. 5.
• HOME SWEET HOME: Saturday's match against Saint Mary's is the third of four straight home contests for the Cobbers, who are 2-3 on their home court this season. The Cobbers — who play three of their final five matches on the road — are 5-10 away from Memorial Auditorium this season.
• ON THE ATTACK: Concordia boasts four players who have recorded 100 or more kills through the season's first 20 matches, led by Anna Brakke with 213. Kendra Wiggs (159), Hannah Kell (147), and Brook Carney (144) have also eclipsed the 100-kill mark. No other Cobber has more than 35 kills this season.
• DOUBLING UP: Brakke has amassed a team-leading 10 double-doubles — including two 20-20 kill-dig double-dips. Brakke delivered 20 kills and 22 digs against UW-Superior on Sept. 11 and tallied 22 kills and 28 digs against Buena Vista on Sept. 18.
• LENDING A HAND: Kenzie Urbanec has been in a giving mood all season for the Cobbers, dishing out 489 assists this season. Urbanec has recorded 10 or more assists in all 20 matches this season — including 20 or more helpers in a match 11 times. Urbanec posted a season-high 49 assists against Buena Vista on Sept. 18.
• SERVING UP ACES: Karlie Coschen has served up a team-high 27 aces and is one of five Cobbers with 10 or more aces — being joined by Brakke (21), Chloe Markovic (20), Wiggs (15), and Hannah Kell (10).
• CAN YOU DIG IT: Markovic owns the team lead in digs with 303, followed closely by Brakke with 260. Coschen (183), Urbanec (131), and Regan Anderson (116) are also members of the CC 100-dig Club.
• BRING OUT THE BROOMS: Five of Concordia's six wins have been 3-0 sweeps. CC has not posted a 3-1 win all season, and owns one five-set victory. On the flip side, seven of Concordia's 13 losses this season have been 3-0 sweeps.
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