Arden Hills, Minn.- Bethel remained undefeated in conference play and tallied their 8th shutout of the season by beating the St. Mary's University Cardinals 3-0 on Tuesday night.
The Royals used a combination of well executed attacks, scrappy determination, and a little finesse throughout the night, keeping St. Mary's off balance.
The first game was a see-saw battle that featured 12 ties and five lead changes, but a huge block by Amy Anderson (Sr., Alexandria, MN) late in the game and hard earned point at 27-24 gave Bethel the boost they needed to win 30-25.
Game two was all Bethel as they led 19-5 at one point, on their way to a 30-14 win.
The Cardinals came back strong in game three and led 15-14, but in the end, could not hold off the Royals. With the help of 4-0 and 5-0 runs, Bethel pulled away, winning the game 30-20.
Liz Glesne (Sr., Underwood, MN) led the team in scoring, amassing 17 kills, leaving her 74 short of being Bethel's all-time leader in that category.
Although Glesne has garnered some well-deserved attention, most recently as the MIAC Hitter of the Week for Sept. 17-23, Bethel's victories are always a team effort.
Stephanie Schmidt (Montgomery, MN) and Anderson also played well, racking up 12 and 8 kills, respectively.
Jennifer Stoa (Jr., Brooklyn Park, MN) and newcomer Kelly Otto (So., Plymouth, MN) combined for half the team blocks with three apiece. Laura Naig (Sr., Kasson, MN) continued to show her versatility by not only recording 47 assists, but also notching two kills and service aces as well. Joslin Geisler (Sr., Grand Rapids, MN) continued her strong play at libero with 17 digs, while Kayla Smith (Sr., Lakeville, MN) contributed 10 digs of her own.
The Cardinals were led by Sarah Gardner and Jessica Mate with 9 and 8 kills, respectively. Ultimately, St. Mary's did themselves in, with each game ending on an error or misplayed ball in favor of the Royals.
Bethel improves to 3-0 in the MIAC and 11-2 overall. They will stay at home to take on Macalester at 7 p.m. on Friday. St. Mary's drops to 1-2 in conference, and 11-6 overall. They return to Winona to take on St. Benedict this Friday as well.
