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St. Olaf Box Score

NORTHFIELD, Minn. -- The St. Scholastica volleyball team kicked off its season by defeating Carleton College in five sets and No. 16 St. Olaf College in straight sets to sweep the first day of the St. Olaf Invitational on Thursday.

CSS opened with Carleton College (0-1). The Saints took the first set handily, 25-10. Carleton answered in the second set with a big win of its own, taking it 25-14.

The two teams split the next two sets, 25-21, with St. Scholastica winning the third, and Carleton the fourth.

St. Scholastica came out on fire in the fifth set, taking it easily, 15-3, giving them the match victory, 3-2.

Paige Hardy (Hibbing, Minn./Hibbing HS), Anna Zyvoloski (Sauk Rapids, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral HS (Minn.-Duluth)) and Sarah Kurtovich (Andover, Minn./Andover HS) all had double-doubles for the Saints. Hardy ended the match with 16 kills and 10 digs, Zyvoloski had 14 kills and 18 digs, while Kurtovich had 29 set assists and 10 digs. Nikki Hughes (Lake Nebagamon, Wis./Northwestern HS) led the team with 22 digs, and Emily Lindquist (Detroit Lakes, Minn./Detroit Lakes HS) had four total blocks to lead the Saints.

In the second match of the day against 16th ranked St. Olaf, the Saints were down early to the Oles, 3-0 in the first set. The Saints trailed for the first portion of the set until two straight service aces by Kurtovich tied the set at 11 a piece. The set was back and forth until the Saints took five of the last six points to win it 25-20, and go up 1-0 on the Oles.

The second set started the same as the first, with St. Scholastica getting down early. The Saints quickly tied the set at 2-2 and never looked back. Hardy had five of her 11 kills in the second set, with the Saints winning it 25-19 to push them ahead two sets to none.

The third set was all Saints as they jumped ahead early and stayed ahead throughout to take the set, 25-17, and the match, 3-0.

Zyvoloski had her second double-double of the day, recording ten kills and ten digs. Hardy led the team with 11 kills, while Kurtovich recorded 19 assists. Hughes and Hardy both had seven digs, and Taylor Tyllia (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) added seven kills.

The Saints will continue play tomorrow in Northfield as they face off with MIAC opponents, Hamline University at noon and Macalester College at 2 p.m.