ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The St. Catherine University volleyball team (20-8, 9-2 MIAC) is headed to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Playoff Championship match for the first time with host honors after downing Bethel. The 3-2 defeat of the Royals on Thursday evening in the MIAC Playoff Semifinal led the Wildcats to their first program MIAC semifinal win and first time the program will host the MIAC championship match. The Wildcats welcome the College of Saint Benedict on Saturday, the No. 4 seed in the tournament after they defeated top-ranked Gustavus Adolphus 3-0.
Brenna Essig recorded a career high 35 digs in the five set thriller with two clutch aces and six assists.
Lexie Petrick also had a big night with 30 digs and 15 kills scoring a team best 17 points to go along with two blocks.
Mallory Johnson recorded 15 kills with two blocks while
Liz Rosen registered a double double with 24 digs, eleven kills, and two blocks.
Madison Fagan followed with eleven kills, eight blocks to score 15.5 points.
Lucia Neuman tallied 27 assisted with 22 digs while rookie setter,
Addison Preuss contributed 18 digs and 23 assists and one ace.
In the first set, both teams traded points early on, with notable kills from Petrick. St. Kate's gained momentum midway through with a series of kills and aces, especially from Rosen. However, Bethel fought back dominating the later stages with multiple kills, supported by service aces. Despite a late push from St. Catherine, Bethel's steady offense and key plays allowed them to edge out the set by two points.
St. Catherine secured a second set win over Bethel with a final score of 25-21.
Claudia Chmielewski and Johnson provided strong offensive plays early in the set, helping the Wildcats take the lead. Rosen and Fagan contributed with key blocks and kills, keeping the momentum on St. Catherine's side. Bethel fought back with kills, but ultimately, errors late in the set proved costly. A kill from Petrick closed out the set to tie the match 1-1.
Mallory Johnson led with several early kills, but Bethel's solid blocking, slowed the Wildcats offense. St. Catherine battled back with late kills by Rosen and Fagan, but Bethel held their ground, with a block on
Lexie Petrick sealing the set for the Royals.
The Wildcats edged out the Royals with a 27-25 win in a thrilling set. The set was marked by consistent performances from Petrick and Fagan, both pivotal in driving the Wildcats offense with timely kills. Despite the Royals resilience and a near-win at 24-23, the Wildcats rallied back with crucial plays, including Fagan's decisive kill and a service ace from Preuss, clinching the set for St. Kate's to force one more opportunity to advance.
In the fifth and final set, the Wildcats and Royals fought back and fourth to get to 5-5 before the Wildcats made their first attempt at running away with the win. St. Kate's took an 8-5 lead with Rosen at the service line but the Royals inched back to knot it at 9-9. The two traded points with Chmielweski delivering a kill to take the 12-11 lead and not allowing the Royals to tie the set again. Essig built the two point cushion with an ace at 13-11 but the Royals earned a free point to get within one again. Fagan tallied the Wildcats 14th point in the set while Rosen's kill sealed the 15-12 match win.
CHAMPIONSHIP SET FOR SATURDAY
No. 2 St. Catherine will host No. 4 Saint Benedict in the 2024 MIAC Playoff Championship match at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 16. Saint Benedict swept the regular season meeting with St. Kate's, 3-0, on September 28 in what was the Wildcats' last loss before embarking on a ten-match winning streak. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs in the MIAC Playoffs. The MIAC Playoff champion will receive the postseason championship plaque and the conference's automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament.
All tickets for the 2024 MIAC Playoffs will be sold and purchased online via HomeTown Ticketing. There will not be cash sales at any venue; however, spectators can purchase tickets using a mobile device, including while at the venue. Tickets are available for purchase immediately. General admission adult tickets are $12 (plus HTT service charge). Student (with ID) tickets are $3 (plus HTT service charge), and children ages five and under are admitted free.
The MIAC has a homepage dedicated to the 2024 MIAC Volleyball Playoffs, containing schedules, links, and information on each of the six teams in the field. Throughout the tournament, the page will be updated with scores, stats, and updated schedules. Fans can also follow the action on the MIAC Scoreboard, on the free MIAC mobile app, and on the MIAC Sports Network.
2024 MIAC VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Quarterfinals | Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024 | 7:00 PM |
No. 3 Bethel 3, No. 6 St. Olaf 1 | Box Score |
No. 4 Saint Benedict 3, No. 5 Augsburg 2 | Box Score |
Semifinals | Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024 | 7:00 PM |
No. 4 Saint Benedict 3, No. 1 Gustavus 0 | Box Score |
No. 2 St. Catherine 3, No. 3 Bethel 2 | Box Score |
Championship | Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024 | 7:00 PM |
No. 4 Saint Benedict at No. 2 St. Catherine | Tickets |
