WINONA, Minn. — It was a fight from start to finish inside David R. Thies Arena Friday night, as the Saint Mary's volleyball team (10-14, 3-5) went toe-to-toe with conference leader St. Olaf (12-6, 9-0) before falling 3–1 in a hard-fought matchup.

The Cardinals battled through every rally, claiming a hard-earned 25–23 win in the second set with their best stretch of the night before the Oles edged out the remaining sets.

Kali Olson led the charge with 17 kills on 30 swings, hitting an impressive .433 and totaling 19 points. Setters Kinlee Grattan and Devann Clemens spread the offense with 17 and 15 assists, respectively, while Paige Klug anchored the defense with nine digs and a pair of service aces. 

The Cardinals also tallied six blocks and three aces as a team.

After a tough opening set, Saint Mary's found its rhythm in the second, digging deep on defense and firing back at the net. K. Olson came through with clutch swings late, and a key St. Olaf error sealed the set for the Cardinals, sending the home crowd to its feet.

The Oles regained control in the third, capitalizing on a string of Saint Mary's errors, but the Cardinals refused to fold as Ayla Olson was relentless gathering key digs to keep the energy high. 

The fourth set showcased the team's grit and fight with A. Olson and Brenna Bruchert delivering timely kills and strong play at the net to push Saint Mary's ahead 22–20. But a late St. Olaf rally sealed the narrow 25–23 finish and the match.

Though the result didn't fall their way, the Cardinals' determined effort against one of the MIAC's top teams showed plenty of promise as they head into the final stretch of conference play next week.

The team turns around to host Bethel tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. for senior day.