Staff photo by Ari Selvey Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s Jenica Schroepfer (11) spikes the ball past Nicollet’s Mia Lambrecht (6) and Julia Rosin (8) during a nonconference volleyball match Monday at St. Mary’s High School.

SLEEPY EYE — Sleepy Eye St. Marys’ offense was running in rhythm during a 25-16, 25-15, 25-10 sweep of Nicollet in a nonconference volleyball match Monday at St. Mary’s High School.

“It helps us have a positive feel towards everything,” St. Mary’s head coach Karri Hoffmann. “And just getting back that confidence in ourselves and knowing that we are a good team and that we can work hard and get the win at the end the of the day.”

Reese Hoffmann led the Knights with 11 kills but left early in the third set with a right ankle injury. Reese Hoffmann has been one of St. Mary’s top offensive weapons, but coach Hoffmann said that her team was prepared to step up to cover any absence her injury might cause.

“Our girls did a good job of still staying strong and sticking thought it,” coach Hoffmann said. “That’s what we talked about a lot is that’s a true champion, working to the end and being able to adjust to anything that comes our way.”

Jenica Schroepfer added eight kills for St. Mary’s, while Amelia Schwartz had four kills. Josie Helget had 31 set assists for the Knights, with Natalie Fischer getting 13 digs and Addie Hoffmann getting eight digs.

Leah Bode led the Raiders with five kills and six digs, with Katelyn Soost getting three kills. Savannah Klockziem had 12 digs, while Mia Lambrecht had four set assists.

Set 1 was even early on, with St. Mary’s holding onto a 4-3 lead before going on a 9-1 run, highlighted by a kill and a block by Schroepfer. Nicollet responded with 3 unanswered points, kicked off by a kill by Kamryn Truebenbach, to cut the lead to 13-7. The teams traded ponts for several serves until, up 20-14, the Knights outscored the Raiders 5-2 to finish off the set, capitalized by a pair of strong serves by Addie Hoffmann.

St. Mary’s took an early 5-3 lead in Set 2 to force a Nicollet timeout. Nicollet held on with a kill by Klockziem to stay within 3 points down 9-6, but St. Mary’s went on a 12-3 run to go up 21-9 with Helget spreading the ball to Schroepfer, Kailey Nelson, Amelia Schwartz and Fischer for kills. Nicollet battled back with a trio of Bode kills and an ace by Cason Forbrook to put the score at 24-15, but Reese Hoffmann ended the set on a spike kill.

Reese Hoffmann left Set 3 with the score tied 2-2. The teams stayed within a point until Helget got a block to give the Knights a 10-8 lead as part of a 10-0 run to go up 17-8. St. Mary’s continued to control the game with aces by Fischer and Morgan Mathiowetz, and a kill by Schwartz gave them the set and match.

St. Mary’s (12-9-1) travels to play Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop on Tuesday. Nicollet (2-19) hosts New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva on Monday.