The Saint Mary's volleyball team is happy to again give an opponent a little home cooking.
For the first time in almost two weeks, the Belles will face an opponent at home. The last home match for the Belles was Aug. 30, in the SMC Triangular against Goshen College.
Saint Mary's faces non-conference opponent Rochester College Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The Belles defeated the Warriors on the road last year by a score of 30-22, 30-19, 30-16.
"Last year we were really in control that whole game," Belles coach Julie Schroeder-Biek said. "We are a stronger team this year, so I'm telling our players just to go out there and play our game, and we should win."
If the Belles pull off the victory, which would be their fifth this year, they will have to do it without a key component of their team. Freshman outside attacker Ann Carpenter experienced back problems earlier in the week and will be held out of the Rochester match and receive X-rays Thursday.
Sophomore outside attacker Michelle Turley, who injured her foot earlier in the year, will have an MRI Thursday. The Belles coach believes that Turley more than likely experienced a stress fracture and will probably miss the season.
According to Schroeder-Biek, Rochester will probably try to come at Saint Mary's with a powerful offensive attack. The Belles' previous opponent, Calvin, used a much more interior-oriented offense.
Just the same, the Belles coach is anxious to get her team back home in front of a positive crowd and away from what has been a grueling road schedule lately.
"It's going to be nice to be back home," she said. "Lately it's been just go-go-go; play one day, practice the next, then play again, and so on.
"I really scheduled us tight this season. Hopefully we can just get everyone healthy."
The Belles remain at home Saturday to compete in another SMC Triangular, against Kalamazoo College and Tri-State University.
