Piper volleyball completes Hamline women's sweep of St. Olaf on Wednesday

The Pipers jumped out early in game one, and accumulated a lead as large as 13 points at 26-13 before the Oles battled back to within seven at 29-22. That was all they could manage, as the Pipers had 17 kills in the first game and ended the opener with a kill from first-year setter Jackie Kelly (Blaine, Minn.). Kelly ended the match with 16 assists while her classmate Amanda Lindeman (LeSueur, Minn.) finished with 25.

St. Olaf took the lead several times in the second game, but couldn’t close it out. Hamline countered the Oles attack with 18 kills in the game as sophomore Tasha Simmons (Eagan, Minn.) used one of her match-high 18 kills to finish game two in favor of the Pipers.

Game three saw the Oles jump to a 6-1 lead, but once again found Hamline climbing back and taking the game over at 19-18, never to relinquish the lead again.

St. Olaf was led by first-year Kim Smisek’s (Northfield, Minn.) 13 kills, while her classmate, Jane Meyer (Bloomington, Minn.), contributed 11. Hamline junior Amanda Booth’s (Champlin, Minn.) 14 kills were second on the Pipers and in the match. Simmons added 12 digs to her 18 kills.

With the win, the Pipers are now at 16-10 (5-5 MIAC), and are still battling for the sixth and final MIAC playoff spot. The Oles fall to 12-10 (4-6 MIAC). Hamline remains at home to host Macalester College at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, October 26 in their final regular season match.

Hamline University belongs to the NCAA Division III Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, one of the most competitive conferences in the nation. Hamline supports 19 intercollegiate athletic teams for men and women. Find out more about Hamline athletics at www.hamline.edu/hamline_info/athletics.

Creative and innovative teaching and learning attract a diverse student body of nearly 4,600 undergraduate and graduate students to Hamline University. Challenged to create and apply knowledge in local and global contexts, Hamline students develop an individual and community ethic of social justice, civic responsibility, and inclusive leadership and service.

Ranked first in Minnesota among comprehensive master’s universities by U.S.News & World Report, Hamline is also Minnesota’s first university, founded in 1854, and among the first co-educational institutions in the nation.