WINONA, Minn. – The Carleton volleyball team took to the road for the third straight match on Wednesday night in a 3-0 loss to Saint Mary's University at SMU Gym. The Cardinals improved to 9-12 overall (2-3 MIAC), while the Knights drop to 4-11 (1-3 MIAC).
 
Carleton came out flying in the opening set, jumping out to a quick 7-1 lead.  A kill and back-to-back services aces from Sylvia Dixon spurred the run that gave the Knights the early advantage.  But Saint Mary's scored nine of the next 12 points to come back and tie the set 10-10. 
 
The Knights then grabbed a 14-12 lead before the Cardinals broke the set open with a 9-2 run to take a 21-16 lead.  Back-to-back points for the Knights slowed the momentum, but Saint Mary's scored the final four points of the frame to capture the 25-18 win and a 1-0 lead in the match.
 
Set two went the way of Saint Mary's from the start.  The Cardinals scored the first three points of the set and never looked back.  Five separate stretches of three or more consecutive points helped the home team grab a 25-7 win in the second frame and jump out to a 2-0 match lead.
 
After Carleton scored two of the first three points in the third set, Saint Mary's scored five straight points to grab a 6-2 advantage.  The Knights came back to score four of the next six points to cut the deficit to just two (8-6) before the Cardinals answered with a string of seven straight points and open up a 15-6 lead. 
 
Carleton dug deep and responded with an 11-3 run to claw back within two points (19-17).  First-year Rachel Bingham registered three kills and a service ace in the run.  Paired with two kills from Dixon, the spurt shifted the momentum of the second set.  But the Cardinals came back to finish the frame on a 6-1 run to close the set 25-18 and win the match 3-0.
 
Senior Annelise Sokolow joined Bingham to lead the Carleton offense with four kills apiece.  Sokolow also put up a match-high 10 digs.  Dixon followed with three kills and added a pair of aces, while first-year Megan Smith tallied 10 assists. 
 
Up Next for the Knights
The Knights will return home for a Friday night match up with cross-town rival St. Olaf.  Friday's Homecoming match will begin at 7:00pm.