CHADRON, Neb. — The Saints close out the final day of the Eagle Classic with an early morning 3-1 win over The University of Mary.

How it Happened

• SMU set the tone early with a 9-4 lead and held the lead for the entire set. The Marauders made a late run to bring the set within two points, 20-18, before Saint Martin's scored five unanswered points to secure the first set 25-18.
• The Saints momentum continued as they opened the second set with a commanding 12-2 lead. SMU hit their highest percentage of the match in the second frame at .359 and had a 17-12 advantage in kills.
• The University of Mary responded in the third set, and opened the set with a 7-1 lead. Saint Martin's spent the rest of the set playing catch-up but managed to cut the margin down to one point, 21-20, with four unanswered points. The two teams traded points down the stretch before the Marauders closed out the set with two straight points to take their only set of the match, 25-22.
• The fourth set was intense as the two teams battled early in the set and traded the lead back and fourth. The University of Mary grabbed the lead and briefly began to pull away midway through the set but SMU responded with points of their own to keep it close. Trailing 21-19 late in the set, Saint Martin's scored six straight points, including two service aces from Emily Garten, to win the set 25-21.

Top Performers

• Emily Garten led the Saints with 19 kills, while Kingsley Mason tallied 14 and Emmy Hansen totaled 11.
• Hanna Ligons totaled seven blocks.
• Sophie Fast led the way with 40 assists.

Teams Stats

• SMU held a 60-52 advantage in team kills, and a 5-3 advantage in aces.
• As a team, the Saints hit .315 in the victory.