DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Saint Mary's University volleyball team entered its nonconference match against Loras Saturday determined to do something only one team has been able to do all season — beat the high-powered Duhawks.

Loras, however, had other ideas.

Fueled by the 1-2 offensive punch of Lyndsi Wilgenbusch and Liz Fleckenstein, the Duhawks outlasted the Cardinals 3-1 — pushing their winning streak to seven straight, and improving to 10-1 on the year.

Loras had the upper hand through much of the opening set, rolling to a 25-18 victory, and pushed that advantage to 2-0 with a 25-22 victory in Set 2.

Down, but far from out, the Cardinals stood their ground in the third set, surviving one match point before securing the victory, 27-25, to cut the deficit to 2-1.

That would be as close as the Cardinals would get, however, as Loras regained the momentum and iced win No. 10 with a 25-16 victory in the fourth set.

Ciarra McNally (Lewiston, Minn.) posted a team-leading 16 kills, with Faith Van Erp (Sartell, Minn.) adding 13, while Mandy Schmidt (Mitchell, S.D.) picked up her second straight double-double with a season-high 37 assists and 12 digs. DeJaye Baab (Wabasha, Minn.) led the Cardinals with 20 digs.

Wilgenbusch hammered home a match-high 24 kills and Fleckenstein added 16 for the Duhawks, who had four players with 10 or more kills in the four-set match.

The Cardinals (5-7 overall) return to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Wednesday, traveling to Augsburg's Si Melby Hall in Minneapolis, Minn., for a 7 p.m. showdown with the Auggies.