Saint Mary's struggles for second win in 2000 season
Observer Staff Report
Notching victories is getting a little easier for the Saint Mary's volleyball team.
But it doesn't come easy.
Tuesday's victory against Albion College may have sent cheers reverberating off the walls of Angela Athletic Facility, but it didn't come without struggles. With the weight of a 1-11 season weighing against them, the team refused to be satisfied with one victory for the season. In a team meeting Monday night, they knew that they had to put the pieces together if they were going to notch more than one win.
"Yesterday during practice we sat down our team and expressed our goals and frustrations," said junior co-captain and blocker Jolie LeBeau. "We realized that everyone has to play 100 percent as a person so that we can play 100 percent as a team."
And while the Belles found ways to put it together in the first match, soundly defeating Albion 15-10, they began to slip in the second and third matches, behind 1-2 going into the fourth match.
But they weren't going to let it get to them.
"Even though we lost those two, we were still having fun," LeBeau said. "The first game was definitely motivational. We went into the fourth match and we knew that was our chance. We weren't scared ... we just knew we had to play our best."
Securing a victory in the fourth, the Belles forced Albion into rally play for the fifth game. While both teams scrambled to return the ball, the Belles secured their court and managed to squeak by 15-13.
But then again, they had history on their side.
"The four years that we have been playing here, we have not won yet," said Albion head coach Darrell Sedersten. "We struggled and will continue to struggle. We always find a way to shoot ourselves in the foot."
For the Belles, the win was assurance that their team struggles could be overcome.
"What won this game for our team was that each person played their position 100 percent," LeBeau said. "And that made our team come together."
The Belles were led by LeBeau, who notched 12 kills, one block assist, and two solo blocks. Senior Victoria Butcko had 16 digs in the win. Freshman hitter/setter Leigh Ann Matesich had 18 kills, two aces, and 20 digs.
We played better as a team overall," said Matesich. "We started to gel together more."
"It was a well timed much needed win," said Saint Mary's Coach Julie Schroeder-Biek. "Lesser teams would have given up; they showed what they were made of."
The Belles next face-off Sunday at Alma College.
Staff writer Alicia Ortiz contributed to this report.
All Sports Stories for Wednesday, September 27, 2000
