The Saint Mary's volleyball team concluded a stretch of five straight MIAA matches with a bang. The Belles had only one win with three losses in that stretch coming into their final match, but managed to sweep Olivet College 3-0 at Angela Athletic Facility on Tuesday.
The win brings their overall record to the .500 mark at 5-5, and drops the Comets to a dismal 3-9 on the season. The Belles came out aggressively on offense, taking an early 7-1 lead. With freshman Stephanie Bodien's five kills in six attempts, Olivet could not climb back in it and dropped the first set 25-14.
The second set mirrored the first as the Belles took the lead early and did not relinquish it, winning 25-18.
The Comets showed some resiliency and came out strong in the third set. Led by senior Kim Travis' outside hitting, the Comets managed a 13-13 tie. The Belles, backed by the home crowd, subdued the comeback and rattled off seven straight points to take a 20-13 lead. Three kills and a service ace later, the Belles finished the match off with a 25-14 third set victory.
Senior Lorna Slupczynski led the way with 10 kills and 10 digs. Junior Andrea Sasgen and Bodien chipped in on offense with nine blocks apiece. On defense, junior Meghann Rose filled the stat book with 23 digs.
The Belles, who are now in the middle of the MIAA standings at 2-3, will get a break from conference play as they travel to take on a struggling Manchester team who are currently 3-11 on the season. The match will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday.
