ST. PETER, Minn. – The second-seeded St. Olaf College volleyball team fought back from a two-sets-to-none deficit to force the match to a decider before dropping a five-set thriller to top-seeded and No. 14-ranked Gustavus Adolphus College in the championship match of the 2022 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Volleyball Playoffs on Saturday night at Gus Young Court.

After Gustavus (25-4) won the first two sets, St. Olaf (16-13) clawed its way back to take the third and fourth sets and extend the match to a fifth set. In the decider, the Oles hit -.071, as the Gusties claimed a 26-24, 25-20, 18-25, 24-26, 15-9 victory for their fifth MIAC Volleyball Playoffs title and their third in the last four. Both meetings between the two teams went to five sets this season, as St. Olaf won as many sets off Gustavus (four) as the rest of the conference combined.

With the win, the Gusties earned the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. The field will be announced on the NCAA selection show on NCAA.com on Monday, Nov. 7 at 12 p.m. CT. The Oles were appearing in their seventh championship match since 2000 and finished as the tournament's runner-up for the fourth time.

Senior Selena Rodriguez wrapped up her career with 28 digs for her 15th match of the season with at least 20 digs and finished 15th in program history with 1,182 digs in her career. In her final collegiate match, fifth-year senior Katelyn Lannom led the Oles with 14 kills and hit .333, concluding her career second in program history in attack percentage (.334), seventh in total blocks (305), ninth in points (1,415), and 11th in kills (1,098).

Junior Catherine Moore added 13 kills and classmate Anysia Caille was also in double figures with 10. First year Paige Christophersen recorded a 29-assist, 11-dig double-double and was one of four Oles in double figures in digs along with Rodriguez, first year Morgan Ryan (22), and first year Tatum Sims (10).

St. Olaf got out to a 5-1 lead to start the match and led 21-17 before Gustavus battled back late in the set to steal the opener, 26-24. Out of their second timeout of the set, the Gusties went on a 6-2 run to grab a 23-22 advantage and force a timeout by the Oles. St. Olaf won the first two points out of the stoppage and earned a set point on an ace by Lannom, but a service error, an ace, and an attack error gave the set to the hosts.

The second set included seven ties in the first half of the set before Gustavus built a 19-14 lead towards the end of the set. Trailing by five, the Oles won four-straight points to get within one but were unable to get any closer, as the Gusties won three of the final four points to close out a 25-20 set win.

Rodriguez and Ryan combined for 17 digs in the third set to help St. Olaf limit Gustavus to a .025 attack percentage in the set. Senior Nicole Banitt had three-straight kills to give the Oles a 9-7 lead and St. Olaf led the rest of the way to extend the match to a fourth set.

Neither team led by more than three points in a tight fourth set that featured 13 ties and four lead changes. The Gusties were five points from the win with a 20-17 lead, but the Oles managed to tie the set at 22-22 on a kill by Moore. St. Olaf had a set point erased at 24-23 on a kill by MIAC Offensive Player of the Year Marlee Turn but quickly earned another on a service error before forcing the match to a fifth set on a Gustie attack error.

After Lannom opened the fifth set with a kill, Gustavus won four consecutive points to prompt an early St. Olaf timeout. The Oles won five of the next six points to take a 6-5 lead, but the Gusties won the next six to open up a five-point cushion at 11-6 and made the lead hold up the rest of the way. Gustavus had three aces and held St. Olaf to three kills and a -.071 attack percentage in the fifth set.

After Gustavus (25-4) won the first two sets, St. Olaf (16-13) clawed its way back to take the third and fourth sets and extend the match to a fifth set. In the decider, the Oles hit -.071, as the Gusties claimed a 26-24, 25-20, 18-25, 24-26, 15-9 victory for their fifth MIAC Volleyball Playoffs title and their third in the last four. Both meetings between the two teams went to five sets this season, as St. Olaf won as many sets off Gustavus (four) as the rest of the conference combined.

With the win, the Gusties earned the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. The field will be announced on the NCAA selection show on NCAA.com on Monday, Nov. 7 at 12 p.m. CT. The Oles were appearing in their seventh championship match since 2000 and finished as the tournament's runner-up for the fourth time.

Senior Selena Rodriguez wrapped up her career with 28 digs for her 15th match of the season with at least 20 digs and finished 15th in program history with 1,182 digs in her career. In her final collegiate match, fifth-year senior Katelyn Lannom led the Oles with 14 kills and hit .333, concluding her career second in program history in attack percentage (.334), seventh in total blocks (305), ninth in points (1,415), and 11th in kills (1,098).

Junior Catherine Moore added 13 kills and classmate Anysia Caille was also in double figures with 10. First year Paige Christophersen recorded a 29-assist, 11-dig double-double and was one of four Oles in double figures in digs along with Rodriguez, first year Morgan Ryan (22), and first year Tatum Sims (10).

St. Olaf got out to a 5-1 lead to start the match and led 21-17 before Gustavus battled back late in the set to steal the opener, 26-24. Out of their second timeout of the set, the Gusties went on a 6-2 run to grab a 23-22 advantage and force a timeout by the Oles. St. Olaf won the first two points out of the stoppage and earned a set point on an ace by Lannom, but a service error, an ace, and an attack error gave the set to the hosts.

The second set included seven ties in the first half of the set before Gustavus built a 19-14 lead towards the end of the set. Trailing by five, the Oles won four-straight points to get within one but were unable to get any closer, as the Gusties won three of the final four points to close out a 25-20 set win.

Rodriguez and Ryan combined for 17 digs in the third set to help St. Olaf limit Gustavus to a .025 attack percentage in the set. Senior Nicole Banitt had three-straight kills to give the Oles a 9-7 lead and St. Olaf led the rest of the way to extend the match to a fourth set.

Neither team led by more than three points in a tight fourth set that featured 13 ties and four lead changes. The Gusties were five points from the win with a 20-17 lead, but the Oles managed to tie the set at 22-22 on a kill by Moore. St. Olaf had a set point erased at 24-23 on a kill by MIAC Offensive Player of the Year Marlee Turn but quickly earned another on a service error before forcing the match to a fifth set on a Gustie attack error.

After Lannom opened the fifth set with a kill, Gustavus won four consecutive points to prompt an early St. Olaf timeout. The Oles won five of the next six points to take a 6-5 lead, but the Gusties won the next six to open up a five-point cushion at 11-6 and made the lead hold up the rest of the way. Gustavus had three aces and held St. Olaf to three kills and a -.071 attack percentage in the fifth set.