Notables
-Eighth straight season-opening win for CSS
-Saints' first win over Concordia since the 1981 season
-Schermann with 20 kills, 15 digs, six blocks and five aces on the day
ST. PAUL (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica volleyball team began Friday at the season-opening Kathryn Pals Legacy Invitational, hosted by the University of Northwestern, with a four-set win over Concordia-College-Moorhead, but dropped the nightcap to Loras College (Iowa) in four sets
CSS 3, Concordia 1
After dropping the opening set to the Cobbers 25-21, the Saints won the next three 25-18, 25-20 and 25-13 to take the match in four sets and win their eighth straight season opener.
The Saints were slow out of the gate, not recording a hitting percentage in the opening set. Despite trailing most of the set, CSS got within 19-18, before Concordia recorded four of the next five points to ultimately take the set 25-21.
The Saints responded in the second set going on a five-point run to take an early lead. Later in the set with the score tied at 14-14, CSS went on an 8-0 run off of freshman
Taylor Thompson (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo HS)'s serve to gain control and even the match 25-18.
St. Scholastica used an 8-1 run in the third set to open up some cushion. The Cobbers battled back and got within two on a few occasions, but the Saints closed the set capturing the final three points to win 25-20.
CSS put the match away in four, closing the set by recording 10 of the final 12 points to win 25-13.
The Saints finished with 10 service aces in the match, three of which coming from sophomore
McKenzie Orr (Rice Lake, Wis./Rice Lake HS). Orr also led the team with 19 digs. Sophomore
Brooke Schermann (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Totino-Grace HS) paced the Saints with 11 kills, while freshman
Madissen Burns (Watertown, Minn./Watertown-Mayer HS) added 10 kills in her first collegiate match. Sophomore
Espi Austvold (Spicer, Minn./New London-Spicer HS) registered 34 assists.
Loras 3, CSS 1
In the final match of the night, the Saints struggled in the opening two sets and could not recover, falling in four sets to the Duhawks 25-13, 25-14, 19-25, 25-21.
St. Scholastica did not record a hitting percentage in the first set and had a negative percentage in the fourth set. Loras had scoring streaks of eight points and seven points in the first set. In the second set it had a 10-0 run at one point.
Christaia Houser (Esko, Minn./Homeschool) registered eight of her team-high 13 kills in the third set to extend the match to a fourth set. Despite having a negative hitting percentage in the fourth set, the Saints led 21-20. Unfortunately, three errors by CSS and two kills by the Duhawks gave Loras the set win 25-21 to take the match.
Schermann added nine kills for the Saints. She also led the team with three service aces and four blocks. Austvold had 21 assists and Orr recorded 13 digs.
Up Next
The Saints (1-1) will wrap up play at the Kathryne Pals Legacy Invitational tomorrow with matches against the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point at 11 a.m. and Buena Vista University (Iowa) at 1 p.m.
