Saint Mary's got its first win in three weeks against MIAA foe Albion on Saturday in their first match of the triangular before dropping their second match against Beloit.
The Belles (4-14, 2-7 MIAA) came out strong against the host Britons, winning in a five-set battle (19-25, 29-26, 25-21, 15-25, 15-9). Saint Mary's match against Albion was not reminiscent of the last time these two teams faced off a month ago, when the Belles crushed the Britons (4-18, 0-9 MIAA) three games to none.
The Belles did not start the match the way they wanted, as their first set attack percentage was -.091 compared to the Britons' meager, but still better, .069. They hung tough however, and brought their attack percentage to a positive number for the rest of the match. Attack percentage proved to be key in getting this important win for Saint Mary's, since they were victorious in each set in which they outplayed the Britons in that category.
Contributors included sophomore Allison Zandarsk, who recorded a match- and season-high 16 kills and junior Lindsey Stuss with 12 kills and a career-best 20 digs. Freshman Hailee Leitz raked in 45 assists and senior Meghann Rose added 28 digs.
The Belles second opponent on Saturday, however, proved to be too much as they fell to Beloit (12-9) by a score of 3-1 (15-25, 25-16, 25-13, 25-15).
The Belles brought their positive momentum with them, winning the first set in decisive fashion, 15-25 against the Buccaneers. Saint Mary's just could continue their dominating play for long as they lost the next three sets, and consequently the match. Overall, the Belles were outdone in almost every positive statistical category by the Buccaneers.
Contributors for the Belles included Rose, leading the defense again with 22 digs and Stuss leading Saint Mary's offense with nine kills.
Saint Mary's will play again this Tuesday at 7 p.m. when the Belles host MIAA opponent Olivet.
