NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The St. Olaf College volleyball team started Homecoming and Family Weekend by defeating the University of Dubuque by a 23-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-22 score on Friday evening at Skoglund Center.

Junior Catherine Moore led St. Olaf (7-9) with a match-high 16 kills, fifth-year senior Katelyn Lannom added 12, and junior Anysia Caille had 11 in the win, as the Oles improved to 2-0 at home this season. Dubuque (8-8) also had three in double figures in kills in the match but dropped three close sets after claiming the opener.

Senior Selena Rodriguez tallied 25 digs for her sixth match of the season with at least that many for the Oles, while first year Morgan Ryan recorded 20 for the second-highest total of her young career. Senior Christina Cheng and first year Paige Christophersen also were in double figures in digs with 17 and 11, respectively, as Christophersen also handed out a team-best 25 assists.

Five Oles had at least one ace in the win, as St. Olaf had seven aces and four service errors as a team, compared to two aces and nine errors for Dubuque.

Back-to-back aces by Cheng early in the first set helped the Oles to a 5-1 start, but the Spartans grabbed a 19-17 lead later in the set, which featured 14 ties and six lead changes. The teams were tied at 19-19, 20-20, 22-22, and 23-23 before Dubuque closed out the set with back-to-back kills by Emma Powell. The Spartans hit .412 – the highest for either team in the match – in the opening set.

Lannom and Moore had five kills apiece in the second set and Rodriguez made nine digs to help the Oles even the match at a set apiece. St. Olaf trailed by a 23-19 margin late in the set before winning the final six points to snatch the set. Lannom had two kills, including one on set point, and was in on a block with Cheng in the 6-0 closing run.

The Spartans held leads of 15-6 and 17-10 in the third set, but the Oles rallied late in the set to take a two-sets-to-one advantage. Moore had a pair of kills in a 5-0 run that gave St. Olaf a 17-15 lead before Dubuque fought back to tie it at 20-20. A kill by Cheng and an ace by senior Nicole Banitt broke the tie and started a 5-1 close to the set for the Oles, who got kills from Caille, Moore, and Lannom to finish the set.

St. Olaf did not lead in the fourth set until a 5-0 run erased a 17-15 Dubuque lead and gave the Oles a three-point lead at 20-17. The Spartans hung around, getting within a point a 20-19 and 21-20 but could not pull even. Lannom had a kill and a solo block on consecutive points to bring up match point for St. Olaf and, after the Spartans saved two match points, sealed the win with her 12th kill of the match.

Next up for the Oles is a home match against the nationally-ranked University of Northwestern (Minn.) on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. The Eagles are ranked No. 3 in the country in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III Coaches Poll.