After more than a week off, an energized St. Ambrose team opened CCAC play with a 3-0 victory at Calumet St. Joseph Thursday night.

Eight different Bees put down at least one kill and the team totaled 14 aces in the 25-12, 25-21, 25-11 win.

Grace McGrath collected two of her match-best five aces during an eight-point run in the first set that turned a 3-1 deficit into a 9-3 advantage. Brea Cunningham picked up two of her three kills during the stretch that gave SAU a lead it would never relinquish.

The second set was the most competitive of the night and only after the Bees coughed up an early 11-4 lead. Nursing an 18-17 advantage, the Bees used a kill from Amber Tomlin and back-to-back hitting errors from the Crimson Wave to build a 21-17 edge. CCSJ (1-1, 0-1 CCAC) closed to within 22-21 before an Abby Happ kill restored a two-point lead. Isabelle Todd's ace gave the Bees a set point, and Happ followed with another kill for a two-set lead.

St. Ambrose served its way to an early lead in the third. Tomlin and Maicee Pierce each had two and Alexis Hayes and McGrath one apiece to help the team to a fast 15-5 edge. Calumet never got closer than nine points the rest of the way as the Bees won for the second time in three matches.

Jenny Koerner posted nine kills without a hitting error in the victory. Payton Wendt finished with five kills, Happ had four and Cunningham added three. Madisyn Johnson (2), Tomlin, London Williams and Emma Marshall also had kills. SAU hit .276 as a team while forcing CCSJ into a negative hitting percentage (-.016).

Tomlin had assists on 21 of the team's 26 kills. McGrath led all players with 14 digs and her five aces. Pierce (3), Todd (2) and Tomlin (2) also had multiple aces.

St. Ambrose (2-8, 1-0 CCAC) will host a pair of conference matches next week beginning with Tuesday's 7 p.m. contest against Roosevelt. Next Thursday, the Bees will host Cardinal Stritch, also at 7 p.m.