ST. PAUL, Minn. Six days.
That's how long it had been since the Saint Mary's University volleyball team played its last match the Cardinals' longest matchless streak to date.
And while the layoff was a good thing for SMU, it was a bad thing for Hamline, which had the unfortunate task of hosting the well-rested Cardinals Wednesday night in a Minneesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match.
The Cardinals, shaking off a bit of rust in the opening game, got a team-high 18 kills from Kirstan Rouzer (Comstock, Wis.) as they moved to 2-0 in the MIAC and extended their winning streak to four straight with a 26-30, 30-26, 30-13, 30-28 win.
Tracy Koertgen (Crystal Lake, Ill.) chipped in 12 kills and four aces, while Tessa Stranik (Eatonville, Wash.) dished out 43 assists and Desiree Larson (Blaine, Minn.) tallied a match-high 20 digs.
The Cardinals, who have now won 13 of their last 14 matches, improved to 13-3 overall and return to action Friday, when they play host ot Concordia in a 7:30 p.m. MIAC match at the SMU Gym.