Box Score It just wasn't in the cards for the Hamline volleyball team Wednesday night. The Pipers gave highly touted St. Mary's all they could handle in the first three sets of their MIAC match. Each set was decided by just two points. SMU, however, used their size to their advantage and claimed a 3-1 win over Hamline before a boisterous crowd at Hutton Arena.

Julia Zolnosky kept her MIAC lead at Kills Per Set with 24 to lead a 62-kill assault on SMU. She added 14 digs as well -- one of five Pipers who reached double digits in that category. Beth Goodman (12) was also sharp, recording seven of her 17 kills in the first set alone. Jena Meyer also reached double figures with 11. Amelia Jensen was her usual self, offering up a game high 47 assists. She, too, leads the loop with 9.57 Assists Per Set. Micki Green led the digger patrol with 27. Marisa Franco (11), Jamie Rubbelke (10) and Jensen (10) also were superb on the back wall. 

The first three sets were mirrors images of each other. In the opener, there were 11 ties, five lead changes and the biggest lead either side was a scant three points. The Pipers were down 14-18 in the second set but closed out SMU with a 11-5 run to even things at a set apiece. The third set resembled the first. There were 11 more ties and nobody had better than a three-point advantage. 

SMU, however, jumped quickly to a 14-7 advantage in the night's last set. HU whittled it to five at 16-11 but that was close as they could get. Goodman was the top attacker with a .312 percentage.

Hamline fell to 1-1 in the MIAC, 7-6 overall. They play their next two matches on the road -- Saturday at Concordia (3:00 p.m.) and next Wednesday at St. Thomas (7:00 p.m.)