SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS

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2023: 2-3 MIAC, 9-12 Overall

AUGSBURG AUGGIES

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2023: 1-2 MIAC, 9-9 Overall

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SMU-AUG * LAST MEETING:

Sept. 13, 2022 * Winona, MN

L, 3-0 * Series History

SAINT MARY’S * LAST ACTION:

Oct. 4, 2023 * Winona, MN

Carleton * W, 3-0

AUGSBURG * LAST ACTION:

Oct. 3, 2023 * River Falls, WI

UW-River Falls * L, 3-0

SAINT MARY’S * UP NEXT:

Oct. 13-14, 2023 * St. Paul, MN

North Central Invitational

AUGSBURG * UP NEXT: 

Oct. 7, 2023 * Minneapolis, MN

St. Olaf * 2:00 | UW-EC, * 4:00

SAINT MARY’S SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals head into their conference matchup against Augsburg sitting at 9-12 overall, including sporting a 2-3 mark in five conference contests.

• LAST ACTION: Saint Mary’s made quick work of Carleton in the teams’ conference match at the SMU Gym Wednesday evening, rolling to a 3-0 victory.

• STREAK-STARTER: With their win over Carleton on Wednesday, the Cardinals have now won back-to-back matches. It’s the second time this season SMU has won two straight and one short of the Cardinals’ season-high three-match winning streak.

• STREAK-SNAPPER: The Cardinals put an end to their season-high five-match losing streak with last Saturday’s 3-1 win over St. Olaf. After beating Buena Vista 3-2 on Sept. 19, SMU had dropped matches to Gustavus (3-0), Concordia (3-0), Central-Iowa (3-2), Saint Benedict (3-0), and Nebraska Wesleyan (3-0).

• GETTING DEFENSIVE: The Cardinals set a program record Tuesday night when they held Carleton to just seven second-set points. Saint Mary’s had previously held opponents to eight points in a set three times — beating Finlandia 25-8 on Sept. 2, 2011; and winning 25-8 over both Aurora on Sept. 6, 2013 and Rowan on Oct. 8, 2016.

• SWEEPING UP: Twelve of Saint Mary’s 21 matches this season have been decided by 3-0 sweeps. The Cardinals are 4-8 in those 12 contests — beating Marian, Lawrence, Luther, and Carleton, while falling to Elmhurst, UW-Superior, Coe, the University of Dubuque, No. 18 Gustavus, Concordia, Saint Benedict, and Nebraska Wesleyan.

• GOING THE DISTANCE: With their 3-2 loss to Central-Iowa on Sept. 23, Saint Mary’s has now played six matches that have been extended to a fifth set. The Cardinals are 3-3 in those six contests — beating UMN Morris, Northland, and Buena Vista, while falling to UW-La Crosse, Monmouth, and Central-Iowa.

• ON THE ATTACK: Ciarra McNally (Lewiston, Minn.) heads into Friday’s match against Augsburg boasting a team-high 304 kills through 21 matches — tops in the MIAC — and is one of four Cardinals who have eclipsed the 100-kill plateau. Kali Olson (New York Mills, Minn.) is sitting second on the team with 184 kills, followed by Jazzy Davis (La Crosse, Wis.) with 139 and Brenna Bruchert (Eau Claire, Wis.) with 133.

• JOINING THE CLUB: With her ninth kill against Central-Iowa on Sept. 23, McNally became the 14th player in program history to reach 1,000 career kills. McNally enters this weekend’s matches owning 1,063 kills, leaving her 12th all-time. Next up: Brandi Blattner ’18 with 1,164.

• DOUBLE DIGITS: McNally has recorded at least 10 kills in 18 of the Cardinals’ 21 matches this season, including four matches of 20 or more kills. … McNally tallied a season-high 24 kills against UMN Morris on Sept. 2.

• HITTING 10 x 4: The Cardinals had a season-high four players record 10 or more kills in their 3-2 win over Buena Vista on Sept. 19. Bruchert led the way with 18, followed by McNally with 14, Olson with 12, and Davis with 10.

• HITTING 20 x 2: Saint Mary’s boasted two players with 20+ kills in its 3-2 win over UMN Morris on Sept. 2 — McNally led the charge with 24 and Olson chipped in 21.

• CAREER BESTS: The Cardinals have had four players post career-highs of 10 or more kills this season. Olson recorded a career-best 21 kills against UMN Morris on Sept. 2, while Bruchert delivered a career-high 19 kills at Buena Vista on Sept. 19; Davis tallied a career-high 15 vs. Loras on Sept. 15, and Baker recorded 10 vs. Lawrence on Sept. 1.

• GIVING AN ASSIST: Faith VanErp (Sartell, Minn.) has accounted for 703 of the Cardinals’ 809 assists this season, including a single-match career high of 53 against Monmouth on Sept. 16. … VanErp has delivered at least 20 helpers in 19 of SMU’s 21 matches this season, including 30 or more helpers 11 times. … VanErp’s 53 assists against Loras on Sept. 16 marked the second time the junior has delivered 50 of more assists, and were the most since Lillian Braun recorded a 53-assist performance against Coe on Sept. 27, 2019.

• DOUBLING UP: McNally, who led the team with 14 double-doubles in 2022, has recorded 10 kill-dig double-doubles this season, while VanErp has notched the first eight set-dig double-doubles of her collegiate career.

• DIGGING IT: Lindsey Rossow (Rochester, Minn.) leads the Cardinals in digs with 292, followed by McNally (202), VanErp (171), Devann Clemens (Chatfield, Minn. / 134), and Alison Wu (Woodbury, Minn. / 130). … Rossow posted a career-high 30 digs against UMN Morris on Sept. 2, while three other Cardinals — VanErp (18), Clemens (16), and Wu (16) — recorded career-highs in digs against Central-Iowa last Saturday. … As a team, SMU put a season-high five players in double figures in digs against Central-Iowa last Saturday.

• SERVING UP ACES: Along with her team-leading 703 assists, VanErp also leads the team with 35 service aces.  Olson (24), Rossow (22), Clemens (17), Wu (15), and McNally (124) have also reached double figures in aces this season. … As a team, Saint Mary’s owns 140 aces through 21 matches. … Saint Mary’s recorded a season-high eight aces against Marian on Sept. 1.

• WEEKLY HONOR: Faith VanErp (Sartell, Minn.) was named MIAC Specialty Player of the Week on Sept. 6, after racking up racking up 136 assists, two assist-dig double-doubles and eight service aces in SMU’s four Sugar Loaf Classic matches.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: SMU boasts 889 kills (11.40 kps), 809 assists, 140 aces, 1,177 digs, and 98 blocks in 21 matches. … The Cardinals have recorded 60 or more kills in a match twice — posting 62 against Central-Iowa on Sept. 23, 65 against Monmouth on Sept. 16, and a season-high 66 at Buena Vista on Sept. 19 — while also tallying a season-high 61 assists against both Monmouth and Buena Vista. … SMU is 8-13 in the first set this season, while going 8-13 in the second, 9-12 in the third 6-3 in the fourth, and 3-3 in the fifth. … SMU has played just three matches decided in four sets — beating Bethany Lutheran 3-1 on Sept. 9 and St. Olaf 3-1 last Saturday, while falling to Loras 3-1 on Sept. 15.

AUGSBURG SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Auggies head into their Friday night showdown at Saint Mary’s sitting at 9-9 overall, including 1-2 in their first three conference contests.

• LAST ACTION: Augsburg failed reach 20 points in any of its three sets against UW-River Falls Tuesday, as the Falcons dealt the Auggies a 3-0 nonconference setback in River Falls, Wis.

• REMAINING NEUTRAL: Five of Augsburg’s nine wins this season have come in neutral-site matches. The Auggies are 3-6 on their home court, while going 6-3 away from Si Melby Hall — including 5-1 on a neutral-site court.

• LIMPING IN: After opening the season 9-5, the Auggies have dropped each of their last four matches — falling to No. 4 Northwestern (3-0), St. Catherine (3-1), No. 17 UW-Stevens Point (3-1), and UW-River Falls (3-0). … On the flip side, Augsburg has won back-to-back matches twice, and owns a season-high three-match winning streak.

• ON THE ATTACK: Bri Van Well and Emily Kaup have led the Auggie offense this season, with Van Well amassing a team-high 221 kills (3.30 kps) and is hitting a team-best .234, while Kaup is second on the team with 172 kills (2.82 kps) and a .181 attack percentage. … Van Well has delivered 10 or more kills in 11 of Augsburg’s 18 matches, including a season-best 25-kill effort against Simpson on Sept. 16. Kaup, meanwhile, has reached double figures in kills 10 times and owns a team-leading five kill-dig double-doubles.

• GIVING AN ASSIST: Angel Vo and Jovial King have shared the setting duties for Augsburg this season, with Vo tallying a team-high 281 assists, followed closely by King with 245. … Vo has posted 10+ assists in 14 of the team’s 18 matches and owns seven matches of 20 or more helpers. … King has reached double figures in assists 11 times. … Vo and King both own a 30+ assist performance — Vo tallying 31 assists against Lakeland on Sept. 9, while King posted a season-high 32-assist showing against the U.S. Coast Guard Academy on Sept. 2. … Vo boasts five assist-dig double-doubles, two more than King. 

• DIGGING IT: Augsburg boasts four players who have eclipsed the 100-dig mark this season, led by Torrie Rehder’s team-high 303 digs. Vo (154), Kaup (143), and Brier Ziemer (141) have also surpassed the century mark, with King just seven digs away from joining the club. … Rehder has reached double figures in digs 14 times and owns seven matches of 20 or more digs. … Rehder has posted a season-high 30 digs twice — vs. Wartburg on Sept. 8 and against Simpson eight days later.

• SERVING UP ACES: Vo owns a team-leading 36 aces and is one of seven Auggies with 10 or more aces this season — being joined by Rehder (21), Ziemer (20), King (19), Kaup (19), Marie Venberg (13), and Bria Sandifer.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: As a team, the Auggies have compiled 774 kills (11.55 kps), 730 assists, 114 aces, 1,102 digs, and 81 blocks in 18 matches. … Augsburg recorded season-highs in kills (63) and assists (60) against Stockton on Sept. 2, while posting a season-best 104 digs against Wartburg on Sept. 8. … Augsburg has played eight matches decided in three sets, going 4-4. The Auggies are 3-4 in four-set matches and 2-1 in five-setters. … The Auggies have dropped the first set in all nine of their losses this season.