Pink proved to be a good-luck charm for the Wildcats on Wednesday evening.  Sporting pink jerseys for Dig Pink night, and with a raucous crowd of pink-clad fans, the Wildcats defeated St. Mary's in a thrilling five-set match to clinch a spot in the MIAC playoffs.  The playoff berth is the first for the Wildcats since the MIAC moved to a six-team playoff format. 

With the evening dedicated to raising awareness and funds for breast cancer research, the Wildcats rose to the occasion on the court to punch their playoff card for the first time in years.  The Cardinals proved to be a tough opponent, but in the end could not stand up to the energy of the Wildcats as they prevailed in five sets.  The Wildcats won the first set 25-18, and then St. Mary's took the next set in an extremely close battle, 28-26.  With momentum on their side, St. Mary's won the third set 25-15, but the Wildcats rallied back to keep their playoff hopes alive, winning 25-21.  In the deciding fifth set, it was all Wildcats, as they won 15-7. 

This was truly a team effort for the Wildcats, as multiple players stepped up with big games.  Stephanie Meschke (14 kills, 18 digs, 2 aces) and Brittni Wangerin (18 kills, 21 digs, 2 aces) both hit double digits in kills and digs.  Seniors Megan Ahlbrecht (11 kills, .259 hitting %) and Racquel Reker (8 kills, .467 hitting %) added to the offensive firepower, and setters Callie Teigen and Nina Lindquist split time to keep the offense rolling.  Nicole Neumann provided her usual stellar defense with 32 digs. 

The Wildcats are now 5-0 at home, and look to run that streak to 6-0 at home on Saturday October 30, at 3 PM versus Macalester, in their final game before playoffs.

Box Score