WINONA, Minn. - The Bethany Lutheran volleyball team Saturday traveled to Winona to compete in the Saint Mary's Sugarloaf classic and fell 3-2 in five sets to Luther before boucning back with a 3-0 win over Saint Mary's. With the results the Vikings move to 4-3 on the season. 

Luther 3 - 2 Bethany Lutheran (25-20, 22-25, 25-15, 18-25, 15-10)

The Vikings would take the lead early in the first but it wouldn't last long as the Norse would start to run away with it late to take it 25-20 and claim the 1-0 advantage.

Bethany would then take advantage of some Luther mishaps in set number two, as they would commit nine early errors to help the Vikings out to a 13-7 lead. The Norse would slowly claw back and take the lead at 21-20, but three straight errors and late kills by Lexiss Trygg and Maddie Meyer would end the set at 25-22 in favor of Bethany. 

With the match even at 1-1, the Vikings would climb out to a 4-1 lead early. That gap would eventually get evened up at 12 apiece before the Norse started to run away with it. They would score eight of the next nine points before cruising to the finish line to take it 25-15. 

Needing a set win to keep things going, Bethany would give Luther a taste of their own medicine in the fourth. Trailing 15-14 just over midway through the set, it was the Vikings would made the run this time, scoring 11 of the last 14 points to take it 25-18 and forth a deciding fifth set. 

The fifth was all Luther though as the Norse would fly out to a 10-1 lead to all but put it away. Bethany would make a run to cut the deficit to four points but the Norse would get a kill to close the set 15-10 and claim the match. 

Lilly Mehrkens led the Vikings with 10 kills in the match, while Meyer and Trygg each had nine. Megan Wegner posted 31 digs in the match to lead the back row, while Abby Distad notching 30 assists. 

Bethany Lutheran 3 - 0 Saint Mary's

Having to turn around and play again following a five-set loss, the Vikings showed no signs of fatigue in game two as they came out of the gates firing in set one and would claim a decisive 25-16 win. 

The Cardinals would bounce back in the set, opening with the first five points before Bethany would claw back to even things at seven. Both teams would go back and forth until five straight from the Vikings midway through the set would make it 15-11. They would maintain that lead and from that point forward SMU wouldn't pull within more than three as Bethany took the set 25-20. 

In the third both teams would go on multiples runs in the early stages of the set with a 5-0 Vikings run making things 15-12 midway through. From that point on, Bethany wouldn't trail again as they would close out the set with a Wegner ace to take it 25-21 and claim the match 3-0. 

Mehrkens had eight kills in the second match while Trygg was just behind her with seven. Wegner once again led the back row with 15 digs, while Distad tallied 18 sets to lead the Vikings. 

Bethany will now be in action next on Tuesday when they host Gustavus for a 7 p.m. contest in Mankato.