MOORHEAD, Minn. — Kicking off their weekend on the road, the Saint Mary's volleyball team (13-10, 2-3) traveled to take on MIAC opponent Concordia (MN) (9-9, 2-2), where they battled to a tight 3-0 loss.
In all matches, the teams went back-and-forth.
SMU 0, CC 3
By the time the match was 14-14, the Cardinals and the Cobbers had traded leads eight times. From there, the errors began to stack up for the Cardinals as the Cobbers pulled away 21-15 for the biggest lead of the set. It was too late for any comeback for the Cardinals as they dropped set one, 25-17.
In set two, the Cardinals jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a Kali Olson kill and a tough serve by Lavin LeJaune. The teams, once again, traded points, and if you thought eight leader changes were a lot in set one, how about 14 in set two? Neither team could make a push to extend their lead. Ayla Olson slammed down six kills in the set. Maddie Baker and Brianna Hanneken each made their presence at the net known, keeping things in the set. A short 3-0 finished set two, 25-23 in favor of the Cobbers.
In the final set, the Cobbers earned an early 6-2 lead. Again, the Cardinals' tough serving built up errors on the Cobbers, allowing the Cardinals to take a 13-10 lead. A short 4-0 run, sparked by Ava Berg, drew some momentum for the team, 16-14. It came down to the presence of the net for the Cobbers as they combined for eight blocks compared to the Cardinals' four.
The Cardinals fall 25-22.
Ayla Olson recorded a double-double in kills and digs with 11 each.Â
Looking Ahead
In a short turnaround, the Cardinals will compete at Saint Benedict tomorrow for a 5:00 p.m. game.
