WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University volleyball team had so much fun playing a five-set marathon last Wednesday against St. Catherine, the Cardinals decided to try it again Wednesday against Bethel.
 
With much the same outcome.
 
Which was music to coach Jackie Kiecker's ears.
 
The Cardinals rallied from a 2-0 deficit, rattling off three straight set wins — including a 15-12 victory in the fifth and decisive set — en route to a 3-2 victory over Bethel at the Saint Mary's Gym.
 
The Royals came out smoking in the opening set, scoring six of the first seven points for a quick 6-1 lead — and the Cardinals found themselves playing catch-up the rest of the set. BU used a 6-0 run to push its lead to 10, 16-6, and did not let SMU closer than eight points the rest of the way in taking Set 1, 25-15.
 
After giving up the first two points of the second set, Saint Mary's rattled off six of the next nine points to take its first lead of the evening, 6-5. That, however, would be the Cardinals' only lead of the second set, as Bethel, fueled by a 9-2 run, pushed the lead to six, 14-8 and coasted to a 25-13 victory — and a 2-0 advantage.
 
Saint Mary's looked like world-beaters to open the third set, racing out to a commanding 8-1 lead. SMU would build its lead to as many as eight twice — 11-3 and 12-4 — only to have Bethel claw as close as three twice late, but the Cardinals would hold off the hard-charging Royals to prevail with a 25-21 victory.
 
Bethel appeared to be in position to end in the match in four sets, leading by seven points on six different occasions, including 20-13. Saint Mary's wold come storming back to knot the set at 24-24 and 25-25, before collecting back-to-back points for a 27-25 victory.
 
And the Cardinals rode that wave of momentum into the 15-point fifth set, using a 4-0 burst to take an 8-4 lead and SMU never wavered, rolling to a 15-12 victory — and their second straight five-set conference triumph.
 
Linnaea Wallis (Dresser, Wis.) was unstoppable for the Cardinals, posting her third double-double of the season with 21 kills and 19 digs, and hit a whopping .327. Coral Anderson (Rogers, Minn.) chipped in 11 kills, while Mandy Schmidt (Mitchell, S.D.) delivered 43 assists and DeJaye Baab (Wabasha, Minn.) collected a team-best 24 digs.
 
The Cardinals (2-0 MIAC, 3-1 overall) travel to Mankato, Minn., for a 1 p.m. scrimmage against Minnesota State-Mankato on Saturday, before returning to conference play next Wednesday, hosting Hamline in a 7 p.m. match at the Saint Mary's Gym.