DULUTH, Minn. – Four Saints finished with double-digit kills as the St. Scholastica volleyball team snapped a nine-match losing streak with a 3-1 victory over Minnesota Morris in a non-conference matchup Saturday at Reif Gymnasium.
The Saints won 25-19, 20-25, 25-18, 25-21 to improve to 5-14 overall, while the Cougars fell to 10-9. The victory also avenged a five-set loss to Minnesota Morris earlier this season.
Grace Sandmeyer (Lake Crystal, MN/Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial) led CSS with 14 kills, while Abby Zins (Chisago Lakes, MN/Chisago Lakes High School) and Lilli Rechichi (Ely, MN/Ely Memorial HS) each added 11. Tayte Borstad (Duluth, MN/Duluth East HS) rounded out the balanced attack with 10 kills. Bailey Husbands (Baudette, MN/Lake of the Woods HS) distributed 43 assists and contributed eight digs.
St. Scholastica opened with its most efficient offensive set of the match, recording 16 kills against just two errors for a .368 hitting percentage to take the first set 25-19.
Minnesota Morris answered with a 25-20 second-set win, but the Saints regained control in the third. CSS limited the Cougars to eight kills and seven attack errors, holding the visitors to a .023 hitting percentage while taking the set 25-18.
The Saints then put away 13 kills in the fourth set to close out the match with a 25-21 victory.
Cassidy Lustig (Ashland, WI/Ashland HS) anchored the back row with a match-high 23 digs, and Lauren Kahl (Ridgeland, WI/Prairie Farm HS) added 18 as CSS finished with a 76-65 advantage in digs. Rechichi hit .310 and led the Saints at the net with four total blocks, including two solo stops. Ava Decker (Rochester, MN/Century HS) served two of the team's six aces.
St. Scholastica finished with 51 kills and a .197 hitting percentage, compared with 43 kills and a .154 mark for Minnesota Morris. Natalie Wahl led the Cougars with 12 kills.
The Saints return to MIAC play Friday, Oct. 23, hosting Concordia-Moorhead at 7 p.m. at Reif Gymnasium.
