SMC VOLLEYBALL: Belles drop close game to Hornets
Matt Mooney
Sports Writer
So close, yet so far away.
The Saint Mary's volleyball team couldn't get much closer to victory than they did on Wednesday night. Looking for their third win in Kalamazoo, the Belles fell just short. They lost in a 3-2 heartbreaker, 30-28, 30-24, 20-30, 17-30, 9-15.
After taking the first two games, it appeared as though the Belles might leave town with an easy sweep. That was when the difference in team experience began to show through.
While Saint Mary's struggled with its lack of experience, Kalamazoo's 10 returning players took advantage of it. In the third game, the Hornet burst out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back. They took both the third and fourth games forcing a deciding fifth game.
In the final game, Kalamazoo quickly took control, blocking the first four Belle attacks. Once again, Saint Mary's found itself in a deep hole and was unable to recover. The Belles dropped the game 15-9.
"We just lacked that killer instinct," said head coach Julie Schroeder-Biek. "When you win those first two, you have to put the game away. Our focus changed from playing to win to playing not to lose. Our confidence seemed to drop after the second game. We came out very confident in the first two but couldn't maintain that level."
Despite their greenness, the freshmen still made significant contributions. Freshman Ellise Rupright was second on the team with ten kills, one less than junior Elizabeth Albert's eleven. Bridget Wakaruk and Michelle Gary, both freshmen, led the team with three aces apiece. Gary also chipped in ten digs. Senior captain Angela Meyers paced the team with a game high 34 digs, despite eight hitting errors.
Having lost six of their last seven matches, the Belles return home looking for their elusive third win. They face Adrian on Friday night at 6 p.m. at Angela Athletic Facility. Schroeder-Biek expects a match very similar to last night's contest.
"I'm expecting another tough, even match. It should be a lot like Kalamazoo," she said.
This time she hopes for a better result.
All Sports Stories for Thursday, September 20, 2001
