WINONA, Minn. — On the night before Halloween, there weren't many tricks, but plenty of treats for the Saint Mary's University volleyball team.

The Cardinals, needing a victory in their final regular-season home game to earn a spot in the MIAC post-season tournament, saved their best for last, as they rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat Gustavus 3-2 (21-30, 30-22, 24-30, 30-20, 16-14) last Wednesday.

"Unbelievable," said SMU coach Mike Lester. "That was an incredible match all the way around. Both teams knew coming in that they needed a win to get in (to the conference tournament). And both teams gave 150 percent effort."

Fortunately for the Cardinals, their 150 percent was just enough.

"We talked about the importance of coming into this match and playing at the highest level possible — and for the most part, we did that," said Lester, whose team extended its winning streak to a season-high five games. "A lot of times when you have an all-or-nothing situation like this — like in the Super Bowl or the World Series — it always seems like there's all the hype, and then one team comes out and just dominates.

"That certainly wasn't the case here. Both teams played their hearts out — and that's what you want in a season-deciding match."

With the win, SMU earned the No. 6 spot in the conference tournament and will face No. 3 Bethel on Tuesday at Bethel.

And Lester is hoping the third time is the charm. The Royals, whose only two conference losses came against the league's No. 1 (St. Thomas) and No. 2 teams (St. Olaf), beat the Cardinals 3-1 at the Wartburg Tournament on Sept. 14, then swept SMU 3-0 on the Cardinals' home floor in their second meeting on Sept. 25.

"This team was not going to be denied," said Lester, noting that each time the Cardinals lost (games 1 and 3), they rallied around their senior setter and found a way to rebound. "I really believe that what this match ultimately came down to was that this team was not going to let Mel (senior Melissa Cowan) lose on Senior Night.

"There were times when we could have just crumbled under the pressure, but we didn't," Lester said. "Every time there was a little adversity, we just found a way to battle through it.

"This was a great team win," Lester added. "Our backs have been to the wall for so long and each time, this team has come through. Now we're in the conference tournament — and that (NCAA) at-large berth is up for grabs."

o THIS AND THAT: Ashley Dingels (Gibbon, Minn.) led the way for the Cardinals against Gustavus, recording a team-high 23 kills. … Kirstan Rouzer (Comstock, Wis.) chipped in 16 kills and 19 digs, and Tracy Koertgen (Comstock, Wis.) added 14 kills and a pair of aces. … Senior setter Melissa Cowan (Algonquin, Ill.), playing in her final home match, tallied 55 assists. … The win over Gustavus extended SMU's winning streak to a season-high five matches. … After not having to play a five-game match for 20 matches, the Cardinals have played in four five-gamers in their last eight matches, going 2-2. … The MIAC tournament berth marks SMU's third straight post-season appearance. … After sweeping through their first 10 wins by 3-0 scores, the Cardinals have needed at least four games en route to their last five wins.