NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The St. Olaf College volleyball team recorded its third sweep of the spring by defeating Gustavus Adolphus College by scores of 25-23, 28-26, 25-21 on Monday evening at Skoglund Center.

Sophomore Nicole Banitt paced St. Olaf (3-1) with 12 kills on 25 swings to hit .360 in the win, while reigning Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week Selena Rodriguez had a match-high 13 digs. Courtney Peterson recorded a match-high 15 kills and hit .560 for Gustavus (4-3).

Senior Summer Reid and junior Katelyn Lannom added nine kills apiece for the Oles, who got 38 assists and 12 digs from senior Lexi Wall. St. Olaf hit .250 as a team in the victory and limited Gustavus to a .212 clip.

Neither team led by more than three in the opening set until the Oles won three-straight points, starting with two kills by Banitt, to take a 22-18 lead late on. The Gusties saved three set points trailing 24-21 to get within one at 24-24 before first year Catherine Moore finished off the set with a kill.

Banitt tallied five kills in the second set to help St. Olaf take it in extra points. The Oles led 22-17 before the Gusties earned a set point of their own at 25-24. An attack error by Gustavus prolonged the set and consecutive kills by Lannom and Banitt eventually gave the set to the Oles, 28-26.

St. Olaf hit .393 with 13 kills and just two attack errors in the third set to close out the sweep. Trailing 7-2 early, the Oles won seven points in a row to take the lead and held the lead until it was tied at 18-18. A service error by the Gusties, a kill by Reid, and an ace by Lannom prompted a Gustavus timeout and gave St. Olaf the lead for good.

The Oles close out their season with a match at Augsburg University on Wednesday, May 5 at 7 p.m.