On Tuesday night, Bethel College proved to be the better squad as they knocked off the Saint Mary's volleyball team. In three games, the Pilots handed the Belles one of their worst losses this year. "Bethel had some very strong points, but they were not the most difficult team we have played by any means," senior Michelle Gary said. "The scores didn't reflect the games and we just didn't put it together as a team."The Belles failed to put points on the board, but their defense is where they struggled the most. In the three games, Saint Mary's was outscored 90-51. Losing the first game, 30-14, the Belles went on to drop the next two games by scores of 30-17 and 30-20. "Tonight, it was the drive," Gary said. "We were slow to gain momentum. The offense played a strong game, but our defense didn't perform that well." The loss drops Saint Mary's to 1-6 on the year. However, there are still two teams below them in the MIAA, where the Belles currently stand at 1-4. Saint Mary's has plenty of conference games left on its schedule and can still make a run in the league. "At this point, we are down in some ways, but we still want to win," Gary said. "We have enough talent, but we need to put it all together and just play our game and have fun."The Belles' inability to communicate on both offense and defense has been a problem for them thus far this season. Also, their slow starts continue to hinder them later in the contests. The Belles have more than enough ability and talent, they just need to have more focus and stick to their original game plan once the match begins.Saint Mary's gets a nice break, not playing again until Saturday at 4:00 p.m. against Adrian College.The Belles will continue to polish up their game as they prepare to battle another conference opponent.
