• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals closed out the Dubuque/Loras Invitational with a 1-2 record last weekend, sandwiching 3-0 losses to the host schools — Dubuque and Loras — around a 3-1 victory over Westminster (Mo.).
• TOURNAMENT LEADERS: Ciarra McNally (Lewiston, Minn.) finished with a team-high 36 kills in SMU's three matches in Dubuque, Iowa, last weekend, six more than Faith Van Erp (Sartell, Minn.), while Elise Amerongen (Lake Elmo, Minn.) chipped in 26. … Mandy Schmidt (Mitchell, S.D.) 88 assists, while Grace Gilles (Apple Valley, Minn.) racked up seven service aces and DeJaye Baab (Wabasha, Minn.) finished with 53 digs.
 • OPENER TO REMEMBER: The Cardinals kicked off conference play in memorable fashion, getting 32 kills from McNally and rallying from a 2-1 deficit to beat Carleton 3-2 last Wednesday in Northfield, Minn. McNally's 32 kills against Carleton Wednesday 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.
• CAREER PERFORMANCES: Elise Amerongen (Lake Elmo, Minn.) posted a career-best 13 kills in the Cardinals' 3-1 win over Westminster (Mo.) last Saturday. … Along with McNally's career-high 32 kills, Braidyn Ruetten (Holmen, Wis.) chipped in her best night as a Cardinal against Carleton last Wednesday, delivering 15 kills, while Larkin Clem (Elk River, Minn.) posted career-highs in both assists (30) and digs (10) en route to her first collegiate double-double. … Faith Van Erp (Sartell, Minn.) delivered a career-high 19 kills in the Cardinals' 3-2 loss to Marian last Saturday.
• DOUBLE-DOUBLES: McNally joined Clem in the double-double category against Carleton last Wednesday, adding 12 digs to her record-setting 32 kills. … Mandy Schmidt (Mitchell, S.D.) picked up her third double-double of the season against Westminster (Mo.) last Friday, collecting 35 assists and 12 digs. … McNally and Schmidt share the team lead with three double-doubles.
• ON THE ATTACK: McNally has recorded at least 10 kills in nine of the team's 12 matches this season — including four matches of 20 of more kills — and enters Wednesday's match at Augsburg with a team-best 191 kills, while hitting .210. Van Erp is second on the team with 88 kills, one more than Ruetten, while Amerongen owns 59 kills.
• GIVING AN ASSIST: Schmidt and Clem have shared the setting duties this season. Schmidt owns a team-leading 273 helpers, while Clem has tallied 135. … With her season-high 37 assists vs. Loras last Saturday and 36 vs. Westminster (Mo.) the day before, Schmidt has now posted eight matches of 20 or more assists — including three 30-plus assist performances.
• DIGGING IT: Baab has led the team in digs in 10 of SMU's 12 matches — including a season-high 25-dig effort in SMU's season-opening 3-1 win over Luther — leads the team with 175 digs. With her 53 digs in three tournament matches last weekend, Baab pushed her career total to 1,323, ranking her seventh all-time, just two digs behind No. 7 Desiree Larson and 45 back of No. 5 Tara Rasmussen.
• SERVING UP ACES: Clem heads into Wednesday's match against Augsburg as the team's "ace" server, owning a team-leading 19 aces, followed by Schmidt with 16, Gilles with 12 and McNally with 10.
• LEAGUE-LEADERS: McNally's 191 kills and 4.24 kills-per-set rank No. 1 in the MIAC, while Clem is third in aces-per-set (.51) and Baab is fifth in digs (177).
• GOING.THE DISTANCE: The Cardinals' 3-2 win over Carleton last Wednesday was its second five-set match of the season. SMU was also extended to a fifth set in beating Marian 3-2 on Sept. 11. Saint Mary's is 2-4 in three-set matches, while going 2-2 in matches decided in four sets.
• ROAD WARRIORS: Wednesday's match at Augsburg is the 13th consecutive road match for the Cardinals, who do not play their first home contest until Oct. 1, when they host St. Scholastica in a 7 p.m. contest at the SMU Gym. |
• COMING IN HOT: The Auggies head into Wednesday's matchup against Saint Mary's riding a four-match winning streak — including back-to-back 3-1 win over UW-Oshkosh and Lakeland last weekend at the UW-Eau Claire Invitational.
• TOUGH STRETCH: Three of Augsburg's four losses came during its home tournament on Sept. 10-11, when the Auggies fell to UW-Eau Claire (3-0), Wartburg (3-0), and UW-La Crosse (3-2). At the time, UW-Eau Claire was ranked No. 13 in the AVCA Poll, while both Wartburg and UW-La Crosse had received votes in the national poll. … Augsburg's fourth loss of the season was also at the hands of a nationally ranked foe, No. 22 Otterbein on Sept. 4.
• ON THE ATTACK: The Auggies boast six players with 50 or more digs this season, led by Kayla Gjerde, who has amassed 102 kills (2.49 kps). Jade Fullerton (81), Kevin Boysen (75), Brianna Van Well (70), Corrina Evans (66), and Mikayla Coops (51) have also delivered 50 or more kills through 11 matches.
• PICKING UP THE ASSIST: Lexie Lang has done the brunt of the setting duties for the Auggies this season, accounting for 333 of the team's 493 assists. … Lang has recorded 20 or more assists in all 11 matches this season, including six matches with 30 or more helpers. Lang delivered a season-high 45 assists vs. UW-Oshkosh last Saturday, and has recorded six double-doubles.
• ACING IT: Along with her team-leading 333 assists, Lang also leads the team in service aces with 21, followed by Angel Khang with 12.
• CAN YOU DIG IT: Maddie Nierengarten owns a team-leading 118 digs, one more than Khang. The duo are two of four Auggies who have eclipsed the 100-dig barrier this season, being joined by Gjerde (109) and Lang (100).
• PERFECTION: Augsburg is perfect 3-0 in four-set matches this season — including last weekend's wins over UW-Oshkosh and Lakeland. The Auggies 3-2 in three-set contests, while going 1-2 in matches extended to a fifth set.
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