As Saint Mary’s volleyball prepares for a doubleheader against Benedictine, there is no doubt that the Belles will come out ready to fight. The team opened their season with a record of 4-0 at Cedar Point Invitational, wasting no time proving their ability on the court.
Now, the team prepares to face off against Benedictine in Illinois for their first match, with the next being at home.
Last year, the two teams took the court against one another, and Saint Mary’s took the quick 3-0 sweep. Then senior outside hitter Cali Allen finished the match with 11 kills, while alongside her, now sophomore outside and middle hitter, Kalli Lewskowski added nine.
Saint Mary’s
Showing up to play and make their mark, the Belles swept the floor this past weekend.
Starting with Oberlin, the Belles took no time to take all three sets. Sophomore setter Giuliana Graczyk tallied 16 assists for the match high followed by junior setter Abby Reese who added 15 of her own. Junior middle hitter Caroline Carens led the Belles in that match with 11 kills while senior outside and middle hitter Delaney Martin tallied seven kills.
Next up was Mt. St. Joseph for the Belles. Quickly taking the first set, the Belles were up 1-0, but Mt. St. Joseph made their comeback to tie the score at one apiece. The Belles took the final two sets to take the win and move to 2-0 on the season.
Hiram was the third match of the season for the now comfortable Saint Mary’s team. The Belles took a quick 3-1 win to move to 3-0 on the season. Freshman outside hitter Shannon Rudge and defensive specialist Martin together added 10 kills, and Carens led the team with 12 kills.
The final match of the tournament featured Saint Mary’s vs. Kenyon. Similarly to the other weekend matches, Saint Mary’s dominated on the court taking the 3-1 win and moving to 4-0 to start off their season. Martin finished with a career high of 16 kills while Carens and Rudge added 15 and 10, respectively.
Benedictine
Benedictine enters the matches currently 1-2 on the season with 0-3 losses to Wheaton College and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and a solo 3-2 win against Monmouth College.
Sophia Sommesi leads the court for Benedictine with a total of 41 kills while Emma Cuzas follows with 20. Sommesi also leads the team offensively with a total of 46.5 points on the season.
Game one between the two teams will begin away at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 3, before the two return to South Bend on Sept. 9 for the Belles’ home opener at 7 p.m.
