DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica volleyball team looks to rebound from a pair of losses in the UW-Eau Claire Fall Classic last weekend, as the Saints were downed in the final two games of a tripleheader by UW-Oshkosh and UW-Eau Claire. The Saints host UMAC rivals Martin Luther on Friday evening and take on Bethany Lutheran on Saturday afternoon.
Where:
Reif Gymnasium
When:
Friday – 7 p.m.
Saturday – 1 p.m.
Live Video and Stats:
http://portal.stretchinternet.com/css/
St. Scholastica Saints
Stats
Record: 12-12, 6-3 UMAC
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference: Standings | Stats
Crucial Conference Matchup – The Saints (6-3 UMAC) currently sit in third place in the UMAC standings, followed by Martin Luther (5-4 UMAC) in fourth and Bethany Lutheran (4-5) in fifth. A pair of wins would give the Saints a sweep in both season series and cement a spot in the conference tournament.
Benusa Named UMAC Player of the Week - Junior Danielle Benusa (Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee HS) was named the UMAC Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week. On Saturday at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Fall Classic, Benusa recorded 54 digs in three matches, averaging 5.4 digs per set. She also had four service aces.
Killer Kortney – Kortney Morrin (Grantsburg, Wis./Grantsburg HS (Northern State)) currently sits atop the conference with 3.27 kills-per-set and is fourth in the UMAC with 258 kills on the year.
Sweep or Sink – All 12 wins so far this season have come in sweeps, as CSS has struggled in the later sets of matches...The Saints are 30-18 in the first two sets, compared to 1-6 in the final two.
Three Woman Wall – CSS has three of the top five players in the conference in blocks-per-set. Gloria Ohaju (Duluth, Minn./Duluth Central HS) leads the way with 1.03, followed by Christaia Houser (Esko, Minn./Homeschool) with 1.00. Kariana DeYoung (Deer River, Minn./Deer River HS) is fifth with .75.
Statistically Superior – St. Scholastica has outplayed opponents in nearly every statistical category...The Saints have more kills, assists, aces, digs and blocks than opponents while having a lower amount of errors.
Series History – The Saints have done well against the Knights in years past, having won 15 of the last 19 matches...CSS has also dominated the Vikings historically, as the Saints have not lost to Bethany Lutheran since October of 2008.
Martin Luther College Knights
Martin Luther takes its final road trip of the regular season as the Knights travel to play CSS on Friday and Northland on Saturday before finishing with a trio of conference home games...The Knights have been led by Kira Grev and Hannah Terhaar...Grev has 226 kills, more than double the amount of any other teammate, while Terhaar is second in the conference with 397 digs...The Knights are currently in fourth in the UMAC standings.
Bethany Lutheran College Vikings
The Vikings look to snap a four game losing skid and make a push for a spot in the conference tournament this weekend, as Bethany Lutheran will face Northland on Friday night before traveling to Duluth to take on the Saints...The Vikings have been led by Amanna Berthusen and Caitlyn Decker, who have recorded 164 and 139 kills, respectively...Emily Franzen reocrds 6.06 assists per set and Jessi Jurries has 303 digs on the year, both good for fourth in the UMAC...The Vikings are currently fifth in the UMAC standings.
