Under the direction of Belles coach Michael Joyce, Saint Mary's finished 10-10, marking the first time they eclipsed the five-win plateau for the first time since 2005. The season was highlighted by a win over Hope on Nov. 1.
Joyce said the most successful result of the season was reaching the .500 mark, especially after finishing 2010 at 3-16.
"Working your way up to being a successful program is not easy," Joyce said. "Turning losses into wins is not easy, so to come out and improve like we did was fantastic."
The season started off in stellar fashion, as the Belles snatched five straight wins, their best start to a season since 1992, and grabbed the Defiance Classic title. The Belles hit a rough patch after that, winning only two of their next 11 games, but they rallied toward the conclusion of the season and managed to finish strong.
Joyce, wrapping up his second season as Belles head coach, said that even their losses were hard fought, giving him hope for 2012 competition.
Contact Katie Heit at kheit@nd.edu
