Tiff Tellez (left) and Audrey Spolidoro (right) came up big for the Wildcats and Bennies, respectively, on Tuesday night.

Volleyball 11/1/2022 9:30:00 PM

Bennies, Wildcats move on in MIAC Volleyball Playoffs

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The 2022 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Volleyball Playoffs got underway Tuesday night with a pair of quarterfinal matchups.

No. 5 Saint Benedict upset No. 4 Bethel in four sets, while No. 3 St. Catherine battled back from a 2-1 deficit to defeat No. 6 Augsburg in five sets.

| 2022 MIAC Volleyball Playoffs |

The Wildcats will now match up with No. 2 St. Olaf, while the Bennies will clash with top-seeded Gustavus. Both semifinal matches are scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.

NO. 3 ST. CATHERINE 3, NO. 6 AUGSBURG 2 | Box Score |
St. Catherine earned the first MIAC Playoff victory in program history on Tuesday night with a five-set win over No. 6 Augsburg. The Wildcats took the first set, 25-20, before Augsburg won the next two, 25-15 and 27-25. SCU earned a 25-22 win in the fourth set, setting the stage for a dramatic fifth frame which favored the Wildcats, 15-7. Tiff Tellez led the way for St. Kate's, posting an 11-kill, 15-dig double-double that included the match-clinching score, while Marissa Gilbertson directed traffic with 23 assists and 13 digs of her own. Augsburg's Jade Fullerton hit .448 in the match with 16 kills and Mikayla Coops logged a match-best 46 assists in the loss.

The Wildcats will now face No. 2 St. Olaf on Thursday night in Northfield. It will be the first playoff matchup between the two programs since the MIAC moved to its current postseason format in 2001. The Oles topped St. Catherine in four sets during their regular season matchup on October 7.

NO. 5 SAINT BENEDICT 3, NO. 4 BETHEL 1 | Box Score |
Saint Benedict rallied back from a first-set loss to win the next three frames and punch its ticket back to the MIAC Semifinals for the first time since 2019 with a 3-1 road win over No. 4 Bethel on Tuesday night. The Bennies had three players turn in double-double performances, as Gabby Heying posted 14 kills and 12 digs, Emma Guest logged 12 kills and 15 digs, and Audrey Spolidoro posted 45 assists and 21 digs. Bethel setter Hannah Wilhite recorded a match-high 46 assists, while Kirstin Cotter led all players with 20 kills. Bethel claimed the first set, 25-20, before CSB took the next two, 25-23 each, and picked up the win with a 25-18 score in the fourth set.

No. 5 Saint Benedict will head to St. Peter on Thursday for a matchup with the regular season conference champion Gusties. CSB holds a 3-1 playoff advantage all-time over Gustavus; however, the Gusties came away with a victory the last time the two programs met in the postseason - a five-set thriller that decided the 2018 MIAC Playoff Championship. The Gusties swept the Bennies in the regular season matchup on October 22.

SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS SET FOR THURSDAY
The Wildcats and Bennies used their quarterfinal wins to advance to Thursday's semifinals, where No. 1 Gustavus and No. 2 St. Olaf are set to host. The Oles will host No. 3 St. Catherine and the No. 1 Gusties will welcome No. 5 Saint Benedict. Both matches are tentatively set for 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.

The semifinal winners will advance to the Playoff Championship match, which will be played Saturday, November 5, at 7:00 p.m. on the home court of the top remaining seed. The MIAC Playoff champion will receive the postseason championship plaque and the conference's automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament.

The MIAC has a homepage dedicated to the 2022 MIAC Volleyball Playoffs, containing schedules, links, and information on each of the six teams in the field. Throughout the tournament, the page will be updated with scores, stats, and updated schedules. Fans can also follow the action on the MIAC Scoreboard, on the free MIAC mobile app, and on social media through the MIAC's Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.

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