WINONA, Minn. — Kicking off your season 4-0 is impressive.
 
Kicking off your season 4-0—with four straight sweeps—is jaw-dropping.
 
Yet, that's exactly what the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota volleyball team accomplished over the weekend at the Ground Round Sugar Loaf Classic.
 
And while coach Mike Lester's jaw may not have dropped, he certainly did have a wide smile on his face following the Cardinals' final 3-0 victory—this one coming against Luther Saturday afternoon.
 
"It was a good weekend for us—a nice start to the season," Lester said. "I thought we played pretty well (in their first match of the day against Carroll), and I thought we played even better against Luther."
 
The Cardinals had the upper hand from start-to-finish against the Norse, winning the first set 25-20, and tacking on 25-17 and 25-22 wins in the following to sets to complete their 4-0 tournament run.
 
Brandi Blattner (Eyota, Minn.) continued to lead the Cardinal offense, collecting 11 kills and hitting .375. Lexi Barth (Byron, Minn.) chipped in eight kills, while Sara Lind (Peterson, Minn.) and Bailey Joens (Osage, Iowa) each added six. Brittney Hanson (Janesville, Iowa) dished out 23 assists, while Morgan Thomas (Palos Park, Ill.) led the team with 14 digs.
 
The Cardinals (4-0 overall) are back in action on Wednesday, hosting UW-Eau Claire in a 7 p.m. nonconference match at the Saint Mary's Gym.