Box Score

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. - After a minor hiccup last week the Bethel University women's volleyball team fired back with a vengeance Wednesday night, handing conference foe Saint Benedict's a 3-0 (27-25, 27-25, 25-17) loss. The Royals proved they deserve a top spot heading into the MIAC playoffs as BU improved to 21-7 (8-2 MIAC) on the season.

Bethel grabbed the initial lead in the first set as Haley Toter (Sr., Park Ridge, Ill.) delivered a ferocious kill to give the Royals a 7-4 advantage early on. The Blazers fought back and closed the gap to 13-12 until Caitie Helle (Jr., Onamia, Minn.) delivered three consecutive kills for the Royals, helping them claim a 17-13 lead. CSB continued to battle and evened the score late at 24, but it was a Helle kill and Kate Smith (Sr., Arden Hills, Minn.) block that sunk Saint Benedict 27-25 in the first set.

The Blazers looked to even the match score in set two as they jumped to a 6-2 lead, however, the Royals showed no signs of quitting. BU rolled from there, outscoring its opponent 8-3 to reclaim the lead 10-9.Following that CSB tallied its own 8-3 run, holding the 17-13 lead, and the Blazers looked to close out Bethel when they held the 22-19 lead. The Royals did not disappoint the home crowd, though, as they battled back to even the score and finished off Saint Benedict 27-25 with a Amy Werner (Jr., Three Lakes, Wis.) and Nicole Wriedt (Sr., Pewaukee, Wis.) kill.

The third set showcased even play throughout the first fourteen points as the teams remained deadlocked, however, Bethel left no doubt from there as they finished the set on a 11-4 run. The 25-17 victory in the third frame finished the 3-0 match in favor of the Royals.

BU was led by Amy Werner with 14 attacks, with a .500 attacking percent throughout the evening. Caitie Helle and Haley Toter also contributed greatly with 11 and eight kills, respectively. Valerie Smith (Jr., Alexandria, Minn.) tallied 17 digs on defense, while Kate Smith assisted 35 attacks.

As a team the Royals owned a .254 attacking percentage on 42 kills. Five players helped Bethel stuff 12 CSB shots throughout the match and the team dug out 53 kills.

BU will face the University of St. Thomas this weekend in a playoff-type matchup. Numerous postseason positions depend on the outcome of Saturday's match, both in the MIAC and NCAA tournament. The Royals look to finish the conference season with nine wins; a feat that has not been accomplished since 2002.