WINONA, Minn. — The first time the Saint Mary's University volleyball team lost this season — a 3-1 setback to UW-La Crosse last Wednesday — the Cardinals used it as a bit of a wake-up call and proceeded to take out their frustrations on St. Catherine and Luther in their first two matches of the SMU Sugar Loaf Classic.

Unfortunately, there would be no such rebound following the Cardinals' second loss of the season.

After dropping a heartbreaking 3-1 decision to Lakeland during Day 2 of the Sugar Loaf Classic on Saturday, the Cardinals came out flat against Simpson in their fourth and final match of the tournament — and it cost them dearly.

Simpson escaped with a 30-28 win in the first game and proceeded to sweep the Cardinals, winning Game 2, 30-23 and Game 3, 30-26, leaving SMU with a 2-2 mark in the eight-team tournament.

"Our (early-season goal) was to make sure we play some stiff competition — and that's what we faced the second day (of the Sugar Loaf Classic," said SMU coach Mike Lester. "Lakeland and Simpson are both very good teams, and I think what those two matches showed us more than anything else, is just how far we've still got to go."

The Cardinals looked like world-beaters in their opening two matches of the Sugar Loaf Classic, rolling to easy wins over St. Catherine and Luther in matches that lasted a little more than an hour each.

But against Lakeland and Simpson, the Cardinals met their match.

"The tournament was a good learning experience for us," said Lester, whose team placed fourth in the eight-team tournament, and moved to 6-3 overall with the 2-2 showing. "I said before the season started that one of the keys for this team was going to be to consistently get better with every match — and I'm not sure we did that this weekend.

"It's not like we need to improve drastically in any one area, it's just a lot of little things," Lester continued. "And it's those little things that cost us in those 30-28 and 30-26 games. If we make a few more plays here and there, those losses become wins."

Ashley Dingels (Gibbon, Minn.) hit .500 and collected a match-high 15 kills in the Cardinals' opening match against St. Catherine. Tracy Koertgen (Crystal Lake, Ill.) and Kirstan Rouzer (Comstock, Wis.) each chipped in 10 kills, while Rouzer also tallied 10 digs and Koertgen totaled six blocks. In their second match against Luther, Dingels was again the team's leader, nailing a match-high 14 kills. Koertgen and also enjoyed double-figure nights in the kill department, tallying 12 and 10 kills, respectively. Koertgen hit a team-leading .444, while Rouzer also chipped in nine digs. Melissa Cowan (Algonquin, Ill.) finished with 39 assists and Erin Coleman (Austin, Minn.) tallied a team-high 11 digs.

The Cardinals got 12 kills from Dingels and a stellar showing from Cowan, but it was not enough as SMU dug itself a 2-0 hole and could never quite dig themselves out in losing to Lakeland. Cowan did a little of everything in in the losing effort, collecting 31 assists, six service aces, 10 digs and five kills with a .444 attack percentage. Koertgen chipped in 10 kills and six service aces, while Rouzer tallied seven kills, 11 digs and four aces.

In the finale against Simpson, Dingels collected 11 kills and five blocks to lead the Cardinals. Koertgen tallied seven kills, while Rouzer recorded 12 digs.

"Overall, I thought we played all right," said Lester. "I know we can play better — and I know we will play better. This is a very young team (one senior, two juniors), and I have to keep reminding myself that it's going to take a little time for them to gel."