St. Scholastica off to Fast Start

NORTHFIELD, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica volleyball team won its first two matches of the year for the fourth straight season after sweeping Macalester College and defeating Carleton College in four sets on Friday at the St. Olaf Invitational.

The Saints opened up with Macalester (0-2) and trailed 16-12 in the opening set. CSS then rattled off five straight points to take the lead and closed the set with four straight points to take it 25-19. The Saints closed the second set off strong as well, taking six of the final seven points to win it 25-17. The Saints trailed just once in the third set and held off the Scots to take the match in three 25-20.

Kortney Morrin (Grantsburg, Wis./Grantsburg HS (Northern State)) led the Saints with 11 kills. Sophomore Gloria Ohaju (Duluth, Minn./Duluth Central HS) added nine kills, while freshman Noelle Elvehjem (Mora, Minn./Mora HS) and senior Kayla Horbacz (Isanti, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti HS) had six kills apiece. Erika Birkeland (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake HS) had 29 assists and freshman Alex Barsody (Onamia, Minn./Onamia HS) led the team with 10 digs.

In the next match of the day, the Saints came out strong against Carleton College (1-1), recording the first four points and not relinquishing the lead the rest of the set on their way to a 25-18 win. The second set saw the Saints have an attack percentage of -.035 and have three attack errors in the final five points to give the Knights 25-21 set win.

St. Scholastica bounced back in the third set and took back control of the match winning it 25-14. The fourth set would be tight until the end when the Saints recorded six of the final seven points to win it going away and take the match 25-18.

Ohaju led the Saints in match two with 14 kills. Morrin added 12 kills and led the team with 24 digs. The Saints as a team recorded 98 digs, which is the most in a four-set match since the 2009 season. Barsody, Birkeland, Danielle Benusa (Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee HS) and Taylor Orhn (Coleraine, Minn./Greenway HS) were also in double-figures in digs. Birkeland led the team with 34 assists.

The Saints will be in Winona tomorrow at the Ground Round Sugar Loaf Classic, hosted by Saint Mary’s University. CSS will play UW-La Crosse at noon and the host Saint Mary’s at 4 p.m