We’re now in week five of the fall athletic season, and we’re gaining a solid understanding of how our Saint Mary’s teams are shaping up! As we hit the halfway point, many teams are gearing up for the start of conference play this week.
VOLLEYBALL OPENS CONFERENCE ACTION
The Cardinal volleyball team (7-8) has positioned itself well heading into conference play this week. Last week, the team split a pair of matches in New Ulm, sweeping Martin Luther (1-11) 3-0 before falling to Bethany Lutheran (8-5) by the same score on Saturday.
Junior Kali Olson has been a standout for the Cardinals, ranking among the top ten in NCAA Division III in kills during the week prior, racking up 63 across six matches. The team will continue to rely on her strong play as they prepare for their lone matchup this week.
Conference action begins on Friday, September 26, when the Cardinals travel to Carleton College for a 7:00 p.m. showdown. The Knights will be hungry for a win as they enter the contest with a 2-11 record on the season.
MEN’S SOCCER SPLIT WEEK
It was a busy week of conference play for the Saint Mary’s men’s soccer team (1-5-2). The Cardinals kicked things off on the road last Wednesday with a thrilling conference opener at Bethel (6-0-2), falling just short 4-3. Despite the loss, the match featured a milestone moment as three different Cardinals netted their first career goals.
The team returned home to face a tough challenge against No. 5-ranked Augsburg (9-0) on Saturday. They battled to a 1-1 tie at halftime but couldn’t hold off the Auggies in the second half, ultimately falling 4-1.
Looking ahead, the Cardinals will aim to bounce back this week as they host North Central (MN) (2-5) on Wednesday, September 24, at 4:30 p.m. They’ll then resume conference play on the road at Hamline (7-0-1) on Saturday, September 27, with a 1:00 p.m. kickoff.
TRAVEL WEEK FOR WOMEN’S SOCCER
It was a busy week for the Saint Mary’s women’s soccer team (7-1) as they kicked off conference play last Tuesday with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Bethel (0-7-1), battling both the Royals and the heat. The Cardinals then returned home to face Augsburg (3-4), where they suffered their first loss of the season, falling 2-0 after conceding two early goals.
Bouncing back quickly, Saint Mary’s hit the road again and dominated Beloit (1-5-1) in a 5-0 shutout win. Goalkeeper Kenzie Munson notched her second consecutive shutout for the Cardinals, anchoring a strong defensive performance.
The team returns to action at Hamline (3-2-3) on Saturday, September 27, at 3:30 p.m. before heading to UW-Stevens Point (4-3-3) on Sunday for a 3:00 p.m, kickoff of their last non-conference game.
All games can be found on our website. Go Cardinals!
