Box Score After starting off the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) season with five-straight losses, the St. Catherine University hoped it could end its streak against a Carleton College squad that also was searching for its first league win of 2013.
 
Thanks to an all-around team effort and several lights-out individual performances, the Wildcats were able to pull off a thrilling 3-2 (26-24, 25-19 ,22-25, 14-25, 15-7) road victory over the Knights Wednesday evening in Northfield, Minn.
 
"It was good to get our first conference win," said Head Coach Corey Phelps. "We played well for three sets, but we still have some things to work on. Our serving was great in that we kept them out of system a lot and our defense was solid."
 
The Wildcats combined for seven total service aces – four which came off the bench from Ashley Kahlow (LeSueur, Minn.) – and dug up 85 of the Knights' attempts for their third-best dig performance this season.
 
After jumping out to a two-set lead, the Wildcats let the match begin to slip away when the Knights rallied for a third-set win and took the fourth set in commanding fashion. But the Wildcats weren't going to give up. They gained momentum early in the fifth set to put the Knights away and win their first five-set match since defeating Luther College on the first weekend of the season.
 
All season long Karsee Knutson (New London, Minn.) has proven to be one of the most valuable offensive weapons for the Wildcats. And Wednesday evening was no different as she compiled a career-high and match-high 60 assists to fuel the Wildcats' win. Her performance was not only the most assists in a single match for the Wildcats this season, but it is the most by any MIAC setter this season. Knutson's 60 assists are also the most in a single match by a Wildcat since Whitney Sparby dished out 66 against Finlandia University on Sept. 10, 2005.
 
Knutson wasn't the only Wildcat who had a memorable performance against the Knights. Jana Christensen (North Mankato, Minn.) destroyed her previous career-high kill number – 13 in the Wildcats' loss to Concordia – when she racked up 22kills to lead the Wildcats to victory over the Knights. Her 22 kills is also the highest number in a single match all season by a Wildcat.
 
Alyssa Besch (Lakeville, Minn.) has been much improved for the Wildcats' in the middle as of late and against the Knights, the sophomore added eight kills as part of her team-best hitting percentage of .353. Besch also added a solo block to the team's four-block total.
 
Libero Shanee Herd (Alexandria, Minn.) anchored the St. Catherine defense with 24 digs, while Kahlow added 14 and Shelby Rachel (Maple Lake, Minn.) had 15. Abigail Palmer (Pequot Lakes, Minn.) also added nine digs in addition to her 14 kills, just missing a double-double kill-dig performance.
 
The Knights were led by Camille Benson with 27 digs and Rachel Johnson with 14 kills.
 
The Wildcats will take a break from conference play as they travel to Whitewater, Wis., this weekend to take on some of the top teams in the country. The Wildcats open play Friday evening against No. 11 Washington University in St. Louis at 5 p.m.
 
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