WINONA, Minn.—What began as a promising night for the Bethel University volleyball team quickly turned, as the Royals fell in the quarterfinals of the 2014 MIAC Playoffs to the Cardinals from Saint Mary's University by the final score of 3-1. The Royals gave the hosting Cardinals havoc throughout the entire match, but in the end, Cardinal fans at SMU Gym were pleased by the final outcome.
 
Bethel began the postseason matchup with a 25-22 victory in the first frame behind a .344 hitting percentage and four kills by Tegan LaBerge. The Royals' momentum ended there, however, as the Cardinals came back with a vengeance in the second set and never looked back.
 
SMU rattled off a 25-17 victory in the second, followed by a 25-21 triumph in the third, and a 26-24 win in the fourth and final frame. BU showed great resilience in the third when trailing 22-10, as they rallied for a 7-0 run, but still fell in the end by four points. Bethel again showed great determination in the fourth game when trailing 17-13 by spouting off a 10-6 rally, but with the game knotted at 23-23, Saint Mary's was able to score three of the final four points.
 
Kristin Stern had 11 kills and five blocks throughout the playoff affair, while Tegan LaBerge also added 11 kills herself. Middle blocker Lindsay Kerr came in off the bench and gave Bethel a much-needed spark with four kills and two blocks in just over one set played.
 
Kali Johnson finished the match with 12 digs and six kills, while posting a hitting percentage of .235. Katie Lubben aided 40 kills throughout the match and added seven digs. Maddison Messner led the Royals with 15 digs.
 
Following Tuesday night's defeat, Bethel's season is concluded with an 18-10 record overall and a 7-4 mark in conference play. The Royals postseason appearance was their 11th since 1999 and their third in the last four years.