NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The St. Olaf College volleyball team ran its winning streak to nine matches with a sweep (25-19, 25-21, 25-19) of Nebraska Welseyan University and a four-set (25-15, 25-13, 18-25, 25-21) victory over UW-La Crosse in a tri-match on Saturday afternoon at Skoglund Center.

St. Olaf (13-6) moved to 6-0 at home with the victories over Nebraska Wesleyan (11-5) and UW-La Crosse (15-8), as the Oles extended their winning streak that dates back to Sept. 13. St. Olaf, which received votes in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)/Taraflex national poll, has lost just five sets over the nine consecutive victories.

The Oles will travel to St. Paul to take on Hamline University on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m.

St. Olaf 3, Nebraska Wesleyan 0 | Box Score

Junior Evelyn Kreft recorded 12 kills on 22 swings while hitting .409 to help St. Olaf hit .255 as a team in the sweep of the Prairie Wolves. Sophomore Mehsa Krause added nine kills, while junior Lilah Van Scoyoc had seven in the win.

Senior Morgan Ryan recorded 19 digs, three assists, and was one of five Oles with one ace apiece. Senior Paige Christophersen tallied 22 assists and six digs, while junior Sophie Saxton handed out 13 assists.

St. Olaf surged out to a 10-4 lead behind four early kills from Kreft and did not trail in the set after the Prairie Wolves won two of the first three points. Nebraska Wesleyan was down just two at 11-9 before St. Olaf gradually built up a 22-16 lead on its way to a 25-19 set win.

Early in the second set, the Oles went on an 8-1 run to take a 10-3 lead, but the Prairie Wolves came back to tie the set at 11-11. Leading 16-15, St. Olaf embarked on a 7-1 run to open up a 23-16 cushion before holding off a late rally by the visitors to close out the set on a block by Kreft and senior Dori Hobbie.

Another early run in the third set saw St. Olaf won seven points in a row to take a 14-6 lead. Nebraska Wesleyan hung around and trailed by just three at 21-18 before the Oles won four of the final five points to close out the sweep.

St. Olaf 3, UW-La Crosse 1 | Box Score

Later in the day, St. Olaf cruised through the first two sets and was up 16-11 in the third before UW-La Crosse went on a torrid run to force a fourth set, but the Oles recovered to finish off the win in four sets. After hitting .000 in the fourth set, St. Olaf hit a match-best .325 in the fourth.

Kreft again led the Oles in kills with 13 on a .423 attack percentage. Junior Maren Miller had 10 kills on 18 swings to hit .444, while Krause added 10 kills and nine digs to narrowly miss out on a double-double. Christophersen recorded a double-double of 22 assists, 10 digs, two aces, and two kills, while Saxton delivered four aces to go with 17 assists. Ryan had a team-high 18 digs.

St. Olaf on seven points in a row to build a 12-4 lead in the opening set, with Saxton delivering a pair of aces early on. UW-La Crosse got within four at 14-10 before the Oles won 11 of the final 16 points of the set to run away with the opening set.

In the second, St. Olaf turned a 10-7 lead into a 20-10 advantage with a 10-3 spurt and took a two-sets-to-none lead after hitting an even .300 in the set. After the Oles led 16-11 in the third, the Eagles won 12 points in a row to grab a 23-16 lead on their way to forcing a fourth set.

St. Olaf regrouped early in the fourth, starting the set on an 11-3 run to take control. UW-La Crosse gradually fought its way back into the set to get within three at 21-18 before Krause provided back-to-back kills to help the Oles get across the finish line.