DECORAH, Iowa — It wasn't a regular season-ending two-game winning streak, but there was plenty of good to come out of the Saint Mary's University volleyball team's final two matches before Tuesday's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament opener at Carleton.

The Cardinals went 1-1 in their final two matches on Friday, falling to Wartburg 3-1, then beating Mount Mercy by the same 3-1 margin.

And while SMU coach Mike Lester would have probably loved to end the regular season with a pair of wins, he certainly wasn't complaining.

After all, plenty of good game out of their 1-1 performance.

For example:

*. Lester was able to rest some of his regulars — including standouts Kirstan Rouzer (Comstock, Wis.) and Tracy Koertgen (Crystal Lake, Ill.).

* He was able to give some much-needed experience to some of his younger players — including Lisa Engdahl (North Branch, Minn.) and Molli Dant (Forest City, Iowa), who responded with 34 kills and 45 kills, respectively, in the two matches.

* He was able to sit back and watch as junior Tessa Stranik (Eastonville, Wash.) etched her name in the SMU record books as the single-season assist leader, after compiling 58 assists vs. Wartburg and 45 against Mount Mercy. With her 103 assists in the two matches, Stranik pushed her 2003 total to 1,411, shattering the old mark of 1,370 set by Melissa Cowan in 2001.

All told, it was a rather successful season-finale.

Dant led the way for the Cardinals against Wartburg, collecting a career-high 29 kills and 11 digs, while Engdahl chipped in 18 kills and 17 digs. SMU won the opening game of the match 30-22, then lost a pair of 32-30 heartbreakers in Games 2 and 3, before falling in the fourth game 30-22.

Against Mount Mercy, Dant and Engdahl were again leading the charge, tallying 16 kills each, with Desiree Larson (Blaine, Minn.) recorded 25 digs, and Katie Christensen (Crystal Lake, Ill.) and Rachel Fink (Northfield, Minn.) each adding four aces.

The Cardinals, who finish their regular season with a 21-10 overall record, travel to Carleton on Tuesday for a 7:30 MIAC Tournament-opening match.