Bennies advance to NCAA tournament in dominant fashion

On Saturday, the St. Ben’s volleyball team won the MIAC championship against St. Catherine in a 3-0 sweep. This was CSB volleyball’s first MIAC Championship title since 2017.

The Bennies started the tournament with a 3-2 win against Augsburg, who was seeded fifth. In the semifinals, they beat top-seeded Gustavus, who has won the tournament the past three years, in a 3-0 sweep.

The Bennies went into the championship game seeded fourth in the tournament, and St. Catherine was seeded second with a 20-8 overall mark for the season. The Bennies had energy going into the championship game, having won their last seven straight games.

“We had so much momentum going into that game, which we got from everything we had been working on. Every practice, lift, game, etc. was all a part of the process to winning the championship. We had our outcome goals, but we knew that it was the process that mattered,” senior Audrey Spolidoro said.

St. Ben’s took the first set of the championship game 25-22 and maintained this momentum by taking the second set 25-18 and the third set 25-14. Their 44 kills on 117 attacks with seven service aces contributed to the win.

Spolidoro credits the team’s dominance in the last two games of the tournament to the team’s ability to perform on all fronts. The team’s serve receive, defense, blocking, hitting, serving and supportive bench were all working.

“It wasn’t just one or a few of us standing out carrying the team—it was all 18 of us,” Spolidoro said.

According to sophomore McKenna Moehrle, the team took the regular season one game at a time, and their success in the regular season set them up well for the tournament. The Bennies hosted the first-round playoff game in Claire Lynch Hall, which they won.

“After that win, our team gained the confidence that has helped us play our best volleyball yet, and we have carried that confidence throughout our postseason run,” Moehrle said.

Throughout the season, the Bennies have been working hard and taking time to focus on the details. According to sophomore Kali Jones, focusing on the team’s serve and pass game was crucial to their MIAC win.

“I think the thing that contributed to not dropping a set the last two games was our serve and pass game,” Jones said. “We constantly had the teams out of system with our aggressive serves, and we were able to stay in system during serve receive.”

Aside from the team’s technical skill on the court, they also have a bond that allows them to perform better as a unit.

“Our chemistry this second half of the season is something I am so grateful for. We knew that each of us were going to do our jobs and put in the hustle that is required to dominate in the postseason,” Jones said.

To get to the NCAA tournament, the Bennies had to trust the process. They knew their potential throughout the season, and they knew they were capable of winning the tournament even when the beginning of the season didn’t go the way they wanted.

According to Moehrle, winning the NCAA tournament has been a goal for the team since the beginning of the season.

“This win proves that all our hard work is paying off,” Moehrle said.

The MIAC Championship win secured their spot in the NCAA DIII national tournament. The Bennies will face Washington University, coming in with a 28-6 season record, in the opening round of the tournament. The game is on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 2 p.m., as part of an eight-team regional pod at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Going into the national tournament, Spolidoro feels thankful, excited and nervous.

“I’m thankful to still be playing the sport I love with some of my best friends. I’m also incredibly thankful for my support system, who has been with me for every step of the way. I’m glad they get to experience this with me,” Spolidoro said. “I’m both excited and nervous going into uncharted territory, but mostly just thankful that we made it to this point.”

Moehrle is looking forward to playing more volleyball against high-level competition.

“This team is truly something special, and I am looking forward to the extra time we get to spend together,” Moehrle said.