Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 GRINNELL, Iowa - Marian University women's volleyball (0-2, 0-0 NACC) fell to Saint Mary's (Minn.) in straight sets and Grinnell in four sets to open the 2022 season.

The Sabres had a strong start to open the match but were unable to close out the first set.  The Cardinals opened with a slim 11-9 advantage before the Sabres went on a 10-3 run to take a 19-14 lead.  Saint Mary's rallied but Marian still managed to hold a 23-22 lead late.  The Cardinals were able to complete the comeback, however, scoring three straight points to take the set 25-23.

Saint Mary's opened with a 14-8 lead in the second and never looked back quickly taking a 2-0 lead behind a 25-19 set win.  Neither team managed a lead larger than four points in the third set with Marian leading 21-20 late.  Similarly to the first set, SMU scored four of the final five points to clinch the sweep with a 25-22 win.

Freshman Jenna Butschlick led the way for the Sabres recording a team-high eight kills off of a .538 hitting percentage.  She also had a pair of assisted blocks.  In the back row, junior Reagan Jasica finished with a team-best 15 digs.

The offense for Grinnell came out firing in the first recording 17 kills to only one error as the Pioneers took the opening set 25-18.  The Sabres bounced back in the second with the largest lead of the set being three points leading to a 20-19 Marian advantage.  Marian then put together one of its best runs of the day scoring five consecutive points to take set two 25-19.

The Pioneers opened the third set with a 12-10 lead and dominated the remainder of the set allowing Marian to score just two more points the entire set.  With that momentum, Grinnell opened the fourth set with a 12-5 lead.  The Pioneers led by as much as 11 twice before closing out the match with a 25-17 win.

Junior Kaitlyn Merrill posted the second double-double of her career in the defeat with 10 kills and 10 digs to go with two service aces.  

Marian concludes its trip to Grinnell taking on Cornell at 11 a.m. and St. Kate's at 1 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday, September 3.