The Belles upcoming match this Sunday. can either make or break their season.
The Belles will travel to Michigan to take on conference rival Adrian College who is currently 5-6 in the league. The Bulldogs are currently in fourth place in the MIAA, while the Belles stand in seventh with a 5-7 record.
However, only one game separates fourth to seventh place in the division and with the season coming to an end, the Belles are hoping to take advantage.
The Bulldogs defeated the Belles in their match-up earlier this season. Saint Mary's defeated Adrian in the first game, only to lose the following three consecutive games. During the contest, Elise Rupright had one of her best games this year as she registered 14 kills on offense. Michelle Gary and Amanda David gave the Bulldog's offense headaches as both collected 17 digs apiece in the match.
Rupright has consistently contributed to Saint Mary's this season. The senior captain has totaled 101 kills on offense and is among the team leaders in attack percentage. She has also played a valuable role on defense with 40 blocks.
One positive factor for the Belles is Adrian's recent slump. Over the course of their last 10 games, the Bulldogs have only won three games and are 1-5 against conference opponents. Fortunately for Saint Mary's, the Belles have improved since the first meeting by going 4-2 against MIAA teams.
This game will be the fourth away game in a row for the Belles in the past two weeks. They have gone 1-2 in the first three games, but have played consistently against strong opponents in the losses.
Rupright said the team feels comfortable with all of the scheduled away games as the end of the season nears.
"The team is used to all of the traveling," Rupright said. "The away games shouldn't have an effect on our play."
Following this match, Saint Mary's will have three more conference games left its schedule. Among the teams the Belles must face are Alma, Hope, and Olivet. Alma College has yet to lose this season, which will prove to be a challenge for the Belles.
