ST. JOSEPH, Minn. — St. Catherine University pushed regionally ranked Saint Benedict to the brink in all three sets Saturday evening, falling in three tightly contested sets inside Claire Lynch Hall. The loss puts St. Kate's at 6-13 with an MIAC record of 2-3.Â
The Wildcats opened strong behind kills from Marta Haugen and Mallory Johnson, jumping out to a 6–3 lead early in the first frame. The teams traded points throughout, with Emily Bredman and Emma Nordeen combining for a key block to give SCU a 19–15 advantage. The Bennies, however, rallied late with four straight points to steal the opener 25–23.
In set two, Madison Fagan and Johnson paced the attack, each landing timely kills as the Wildcats battled through six ties. Addison Preuss delivered a service ace to even the score at 13–13, and Haugen's cross-court swing later tied it again at 22–22 before Saint Benedict closed on a 3–0 run to take the set 25–22.
The third was another back-and-forth thriller, featuring seven ties and several lead changes. Liz Rosen anchored the defense with 16 digs and added six kills, while Preuss tallied 19 assists and three aces to help St. Kate's stay within striking distance. A late ace from Bredman gave the Wildcats set point at 24–23, but the Bennies responded with three straight points to seal the match.
St. Kate's travels to Duluth on Friday, October 17 for a 7 pm MIAC match against the College of St. Scholastica. The Wildcats return to Butler Center on Friday, October 24 hosting the Saint Mary's University Cardinals.Â