ST. JOSEPH, Minn. — The Carleton volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision (11-25, 21-25, 21-25) on the road to the College of Saint Benedict in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play on Saturday evening at Claire Lynch Hall
. With the setback in the regular-season finale, the Knights finish the year 15-11 overall and 6-5 in conference play, while the Bennies improve to 13-11 overall and 7-4 in the MIAC. Both teams will be in action on Tuesday night as part of the MIAC Quarterfinals.
Saint Benedict set the tone early in set one, hitting a blistering .448 with 18 kills. Trailing 1-0, the Bennies built momentum with a 6-0 run served by Kate Stadum—featuring two Kali Jones kills and a service ace—to grab a 6-1 lead. Later in the frame, Saint Benedict expanded an 8-6 advantage with a 5-0 surge to stretch the score to 13-6. The host Bennies continued to push from the attack line, closing out the opening frame on an 8-1 run to take the set 25-11.
Carleton elevated its play in the second frame, battling through a competitive back-and-forth contest. After dropping the first three points, the Knights leveled the set at 3-3 behind kills from sophomores Sami Torresin and Aditi Mukhirala. Trailing 16-11 later in the set, Carleton stayed close with a 5-1 run to close within a point (17-16). Sophomore Angelina Erhardt served up an ace and junior Ellewyn Swafford put one way to close the gap. Five points later, another three-point run again brought the Knights within one (21-20) thanks to kills from Swafford and senior Jennifer Bricker. However, Saint Benedict answered by taking four of the final five points, clinching the set 25-21 on an Izzy Torve service ace to build a 2-0 match lead.
The third set developed into a tight battle featuring nine ties and six lead changes. Trailing 10-9, Carleton constructed a 3-0 spurt on first-year setter Raffaella Gardner's serve, highlighted by back-to-back kills from senior Rachel Bingham and a Torresin putaway to take a 12-10 lead. After a 5-0 run for the Bennies, the Maize and Blue responded with a 5-1 spurt, highlighted by consecutive service aces from first-year Alexis Ormsby and another ace by junior libero Madeleine Dimitre. Carleton later took a 20-19 lead following a block by Gardner and Swafford, but the Bennies countered with a set-closing 6-1 run—punctuated by back-to-back kills from Brooke Andries—to claim the set 25-21 and complete the 3-0 match sweep.
Ellewyn Swafford led the Knights' attack with seven kills while hitting .300 to go along with a team-high three blocks (one solo). Rachel Bingham contributed six kills and tied for the team lead with 11 digs, while Jennifer Bricker and Sami Torresin added six kills apiece. Setter Raffaella Gardner directed the offense with 23 assists, nine digs, and a block, while libero Madeleine Dimitre anchored the defense with 11 digs, three assists, and a service ace.
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton will enter postseason play as the sixth seed in next week's MIAC Playoffs. Making their first appearance in the postseason since 2015, the Knights will travel to St. Peter, Minn., to take on the third-seeded Gustavus Adolphus Gusties for a 7pm start at Lund Center. For more information about the playoff format, ticket prices, and how to follow the action, please use the link provided above.
Â
Â
