St. Olaf Retains Bell After Third Straight Carleton Sweep
St. Olaf defeated Carleton 25-12, 25-20, 25-16 to keep the traveling trophy.
Key points
- St. Olaf beat Carleton 25-12, 25-20, 25-16 in the MIAC opener.
- The Oles retained the traveling Bell trophy for the third consecutive year.
- Carlie Beckstrand recorded a season-high 10 kills in the match.
Northfield, Minn. – St. Olaf volleyball swept Carleton on Wednesday night. The match ended 25-12, 25-20, 25-16 in the MIAC opener. It was their third straight win over the crosstown rival.
The gym floor vibrated with the thud of spikes. St. Olaf controlled the pace from the first rally. Carleton struggled to find rhythm against the disciplined Oles defense.
Dominant Start Defines First Set
St. Olaf launched an 8-0 run early in the first set. That burst created a 13-4 lead that never faltered. The team hit .438 with only one attack error.
Carleton managed just eight kills while committing eight errors. Their hitting percentage dropped to .031. The gap was too wide to bridge in the opening frame.
Comeback Secures Second Set Lead
Carleton started the second set with a 4-1 advantage. They built a six-point cushion at 15-9. The Knights led by four at 17-13 before the shift.
St. Olaf answered with a decisive surge. They won 12 of the final 15 points. Senior Evelyn Kreft contributed nine kills in this set.
Final Set Cements Trophy Hold
Sophomore Michaela Dooley served back-to-back aces to start the third set. That gave St. Olaf a 6-1 lead. Carleton never closed the gap beyond four points.
Six different Oles recorded multiple kills in the final set. Carlie Beckstrand finished with a season-high 10 kills. The team secured the Bell for the third year in a row, as noted by St. Olaf College Athletics.
