WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University and Saint Benedict volleyball teams entered Friday's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference showdown on opposite ends of the emotional spectrum.
 
The Cardinals were coming off a disappointing 3-1 loss to Buena Vista in their last match on Wednesday, while the Bennies were riding the wave of a convincing 3-0 victory over nationally ranked Augsburg in their last action six days ago.
 
And when the dust finally settled at the Saint Mary's Gym, the teams remained on opposite ends of that emotional spectrum — Saint Benedict reveling in the thrill of a 3-2 marathon conference victory, and Saint Mary's mired in the agony of defeat.
 
The Cardinals came out like gangbusters in the opening set. After dropping the first point, Saint Mary's rattled off six of the next seven — including four in a row — to grab a 6-2 advantage. CSB clawed its way back, pulling even on three separate occasions — including 12-12 — but could not wrestle the lead away from SMU, and the Cardinals closed the set on a 13-4 run en route to the 25-16 victory.
 
Saint Mary's maintained the early momentum in the second set, building a quick 5-2 lead, only to have the Bennies come storming back with seven of the next 10 points to take their first lead of the set, 10-9. CSB would lead by as many as three twice — including 21-18 — but the Bennies could not hold the Cardinals at bay, as SMU regained the upper hand, and was sitting on the cusp of a 2-0 lead, holding a 24-22 advantage. CSB, however, had other ideas, winning five of the next six points for a 27-25 victory.
 
Both teams found a way to play from out front in the third set, with CSB building three-point leads on three occasions, while Saint Mary's owned two-point advantages twice — including 20-18. Unfazed by the late, two-point deficit, Saint Benedict closed the set on a 7-2 run to seal the 25-22 victory, and a 2-1 lead.
 
 The fourth set followed the same script as the previous two, with neither team leading by more than three points. The Bennies built their biggest lead of the set, a three-point, 20-17 cushion, only to have the Cardinals record three unanswered points to knot the set for a seventh time 20-20. The set would be tied four more times — and the Cardinals would fight off one match point, before recording the final three points for a 26-24 win.
 
A win that forced a winner-take-all fifth set.
 
After surrendering the first point, Saint Benedict delivered six unanswered points to take their biggest lead of the entire match — a five-point, 6-1 edge. That five-point CSB lead quickly evaporated, however, as Saint Mary's collected nine of the next 13 points to pull even at 10-10. Saint Benedict appeared to have the match locked up, holding a 14-12 lead in the race to 15 points, only to have SMU fight off two match points to knot the set at 24-24. Unfortunately, the Cardinals could not get over the hump, and CSB delivered back-to-back points for a 15-13 win and the thrilling, 3-2 conference victory.
 
Ciarra McNally (Lewiston, Minn.) and Abbie Stigler (Menomonee, Wis.) both recorded kill-dig double-doubles — McNally with 25 kills and 11 digs and Stigler with 17 kills and 14 digs — while Mandy Schmidt (Mitchell, S.D.) collected an assist-dig double-double with 24 assists and 10 digs. Larkin Clem (Elk River, Minn.) chipped in a team-best 27 assists, while Peyton Berg (Chatfield, Minn.) collected a career-high 32 digs.
 
The Cardinals (2-4 MIAC, 9-12 overall) are right back in action — and right back on their home court — on Saturday, as they welcome Concordia to the Saint Mary's Gym for a 3 p.m. conference matchup.
 
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