The Belles opened their conference schedule with an exciting match against Trine, but were unable to come out with a win, falling 3-2.
The Belles dropped the first set 19-25, but that was the largest point differential for the rest of the match as no set was won by more than three points. After the Belles evened things up in the second set and gained a 2-1 advantage by the third, the fourth and fifth sets proved to be a dead heat.
With a total of 30 ties between the two sets, Trine eventually took both, 25-23 and 20-18, giving them the win and improving their record to 4-1 overall. Betsy Irwin led Trine with a match-high 30 kills, and Abby Rothballer added 13 for the Thunder.
With the loss, Saint Mary's fell to 3-3 on the season.
Senior Lorna Slupczynski, coming off a successful weekend in which she was awarded All-Tournament team honors at the Capital University tournament, led the way with 27 kills. This mark ties her career high set in October 2007 against Adrian College. Sophomore setter Danie Brink, who set a career high in assists with 57 last season against Trine, topped that mark with 60.
Juniors Meghann Rose and Ellen Huelsmann led the way on defense with 18 and 14 digs, respectively. The Belles' next chance to earn their first conference win of the season will come Friday as they travel to Adrian College. The Bulldogs, who have lost their last four matches and are now 1-4, are also looking for their first MIAA victory.
The Belles will have a little extra to play for, as last season they were beaten two out of three times by Adrian, including a four-set loss that knocked them out of the MIAA playoffs. The match is scheduled for 7 p.m.
