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(http://sports.smumn.edu/volleyball)
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2006 Records:
0-1 MIAC, 4-7 Overall
Recent Results:
Bethel 3, Saint Mary's 0 / click here
Upcoming Events:
Tues., Sept. 19: Macalester at SMU, 7 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 22: SMU at Saint Benedict, 7 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 23: SMU at Concordia, 3 p.m.
Cardinal News and Notes:
SMU’s 3-0 loss to Bethel was the Cardinals’ second straight setback. … Three of SMU’s seven losses have been by 3-0 scores, while two of the Cardinals’ four wins have needed the maximum five games. … Theresa Perrini (Fairway, Kan.) — the MIAC’s reigning MIAC Setter/Libero of the Week — collected 29 digs vs. Bethel, just missing her fourth straight 30-plus dig performance of the season. … Perrini has now had 20 or more digs in seven of SMU’s 11 matches. … Breanna Benham (Deer River, Wis.) dished out 37 assists vs. the Royals, and has averaged 44.6 assists in SMU’s last six matches. … Pam Stanton (Mundelein, Ill.) blasted a match- and career-high 20 kills vs. Bethel. … Stanton’s 20 kills are also a team high this season. … Molli Dant (Forest City, Iowa) is the Cardinals’ kill leader with 137 (3.34 kills/game), while Ashley Wendlandt (Litchfield, Minn.) boasts team-bests in attack percentage (.227) and blocks (31).
Cardinals are good, but not quite good enough, in
opening conference season with 3-0 loss to Bethel
Who's Hot?

Pam
Stanton
Career-high
20 kills in loss
to Bethel
WINONA, Minn. — It's hard for Saint Mary's University volleyball coach Mike Lester to feel bad about his Cardinals' performance in their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener against Bethel last Wednesday evening.

After all, the Cardinals put themselves in position to win all three of the games they played against the Royals.

Problem was, when they needed a key point here or there, the Cardinals came up empty each timed, as Bethel outlasted SMU 3-0 (30-28,, 30-26, 30-24).

"We played at a very high level all match," said Lester, whose team dropped its second straight in falling to 4-7 overall. "The match was close the whole way — we just weren't able to get those key points when we needed them most."

Pam Stanton (Mundelein, Ill.) paced the Cardinals' offensive attack, collecting 20 kills and seven digs, while reigning MIAC setter/libero of the week Theresa Perrini (Fairway, Kan.) followed up her stellar performance at the SMU Sugar Loaf Classic with a 29-dig effort against the Royals. Breanna Benham (Deer River, Wis.) also turned in a sold performance against Bethel, dishing out 37 assists and adding 11 digs.

"I'm pleased with the effort we put forth," said Lester, whose team is now off until Tuesday, when the Cardinals will host Macalester in another MIAC match. "Every game could have gone either way, we just weren't able to get the ball to bounce our way. We had leads in both the second and third games, but each time, we let (Bethel) get on a four- or five-point run and we weren't able to recover.

"We played well enough to win, we just weren't able to get the job done."