WINONA, Minn. - The St.
Scholastica volleyball team turned in a strong showing on Friday, winning both of its matches at the Sugar Loaf Classic. The Saints opened the evening with a sweep of Martin Luther (25-16, 25-12, 25-17) before outlasting Luther College in a four-set battle (25-22, 25-15, 23-25, 25-18). With the two victories, St. Scholastica improves to 3-2 on the season.
In the opener against Martin Luther, the Saints controlled the match behind efficient offense and steady defense. The team hit .320 overall, led by
Ava Swangstue (Grand Forks, N.D./Red River HS) and
Lindsey Baribeau (Biwabik, MN/Mesabi East HS), who each recorded eight kills.
Swangstue also added three blocks, while
Baribeau tallied 12 digs and an ace.
Cassidy Lustig (Ashland, WI/Ashland HS) added six kills and a block, and
Abby Zins (Chisago Lakes, MN/Chisago Lakes High School) chipped in seven kills at a .357 clip. Setter
Natalie Yackley (New Ulm, MN/New Ulm HS) dished out 35 assists as the Saints secured a 3-0 sweep.
In the nightcap, the Saints and Luther battled through momentum swings before St. Scholastica closed it out in four sets.
After edging Luther 25-22 in the opener, the Saints dominated the second set 25-15. Luther rallied to take the third, but the Saints answered with a decisive 25-18 finish in the fourth. Swangstue once again led the charge,
finishing with 11 kills on an impressive .733 hitting percentage to go with two service aces.
Baribeau provided balance with seven kills and five blocks, while
Mikala Peterson (Mora, MN/Mora HS) and
Ava Decker (Rochester, MN/Century HS) each contributed six and nine kills, respectively. Yackley paced the offense with 35 assists, and the Saints' serve game came alive with seven total aces, including four in the final set.
Defensively,
Lauren Kahl (Ridgeland, WI/Prairie Farm HS) anchored the back row with 15 digs, while Lustig added 11. St. Scholastica also out-blocked Luther 6-3, with key contributions from
Baribeau and Peterson at the net.
The Saints wrapped up the day with 85 kills across both matches and showcased both offensive efficiency and resilience.
The Saints are back in action next weekend at the UW-La Crosse Invite. Their first match is Friday at 3pm against the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
