Saint Mary's dropped to 1-4 on the season after losing three of four games at the Elmhurst College Volleyball Invitational over the weekend.
The Belles dropped both matches Friday, falling to the University of Chicago 3-0 and Wheaton 3-2. Junior setter Danie Brink led the offense against the Maroons with 30 assists and a service ace. Sophomore middle hitter Allison Zandarski picked up seven digs, three kills and a block in the loss.
The match against Wheaton went the full five sets, but the Belles lost in heartbreaking fashion after winning the second and third sets. Zandarski picked up 11 digs, three blocks and nine kills in the loss.
"Even though we lost three out of our four games, we still succeeded in getting better each game," Brink said. "We were able to out-work the opposing teams during rallies."
Saint Mary's split its two matches Saturday, defeating Western New England 3-0 and losing to Elmhurst 3-0.
Brink was the key performer for the Belles in their win over Western New England. The junior setter picked up 10 kills to go along with 26 assists. She added 29 assists to her season total against Elmhurst.
Senior libero Meghann Rose and senior defensive specialist Ellen Hueslmann picked up three service aces each. Rose also led the way for the defense with 12 digs.
As the Belles prepare to face Albion in their first conference match of the season on Friday, they have some positives to take from this past weekend. They will also be making adjustments so that come out ready to play and begin the MIAA stretch on a positive note.
"We need to work on keeping the same tempo throughout the match, during both the highs and lows," Brink said. "We will also be working on the execution of each part of the game."
