Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SPOKANE, Wash. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica volleyball team suffered a pair of defeats to 19th-ranked College of Saint Benedict and Whitman College (Wash.) on Friday on the first day of the Whitworth Classic.

Saints vs. #19 Saint Benedict
CSS opened up with nationally-ranked and unbeaten St. Ben's. In the opening set, after the Saints recorded the first point of the match, the Blazers rattled off 11 of the next 12 points to take control of the set an ultimately win it 25-12.

The second set would be much tighter until the Blazers (6-0) went on a 5-1 run late in the set to win it 25-18. St. Ben's then had a 9-0 run early in the third set and CSS could not get back in it as the Blazers closed the match 25-20.

Noelle Elvehjem (Mora, Minn./Mora HS) and Gloria Ohaju (Duluth, Minn./Duluth Central HS) each led the Saints with seven kills. Erika Birkeland (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake HS) had 20 assists, while Alex Barsody (Onamia, Minn./Onamia HS) had a team-high nine digs.

Saints vs. Whitman (Wash.)
The Saints then faced one of the Washington schools in Whitman College and fell to the Missionaries in five sets.

CSS got off to a slow start and dropped the first set 25-12. The Saints played a much better second set and took control midway through to even the match at a set apiece winning it 25-21.

The Saints then trailed 22-17 in the third set before scoring seven straight points to regain the lead. A Kortney Morrin (Grantsburg, Wis./Grantsburg HS (Northern State)) kill gave CSS the set by a score of 25-23.

The fourth set saw the Saints four points away from victory with the score tied 21-21. However, the Missionaries (2-5) scored four of the final five points to win the set 25-22 to force a fifth-and-deciding set.

The fifth set went back-and-forth early until Whitman scored four straight points midway through the set to go ahead 10-6. The Missionaries led 14-9 until the Saints made it interesting, cutting it to 14-12 until a CSS block attempt fell just out of play as Whitman prevailed 15-12.

Morrin led the Saints with 16 kills. Kayla Horbacz (Isanti, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti HS) added 11 kills. Emily Jansen (Long Prairie, Minn./Long Prairie-Grey Eagle HS) had 25 assists, while Kirsten Eaton (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata HS) added 17 assists. Alex Barsody (Onamia, Minn./Onamia HS) led the squad with 30 digs.

The Saints (2-4) will be back in action on Saturday when they face the host, Whitworth University, at 10 a.m. (PT). The Saints will then play at 5 or 7 p.m. (PT) in the third place or championship match.