Even with a victory that looks like a blowout, there are always some things a team can improve on, as the Belles found out Thursday.Saint Mary's defeated Rochester at home Thursday in straight sets by a score of 31-29, 30-18, 30-17. The Belles are now 5-3 on the year.Despite her team's win, the Belles' coach was somewhat disappointed by the overall performance of her players."This Rochester team was not very good," coach Julie Schroeder-Biek said. "These are the difficult teams to play sometimes because it's hard to stay motivated. We played down to their level."She added that the team played especially poor in the first set, helping Rochester stay in the game with a number of unforced errors. Overall, Schroeder-Biek said her team allowed the visitors 30 unearned points."Off and on we did some good things," she said. "But when we were off, we were off."Freshman Kristen Playko had 15 kills to lead the team while also pitching in two service aces, three blocks, and seven digs. Middle hitter Elise Rupright led the team with seven blocks and added five kills. Outside attacker Alison Shevik had a solid game with five service aces and 14 digs.The Belles remain at home this weekend to participate in the second SMC Triangular.
