|
For PDF version / click here |
|
Wednesday, September 17, 2003 |
|
(Through Tuesday, September 16) |
|
Despite having their nine-match winning streak snapped, the Cardinals finished 2nd at the River City Classic, going 3-1 last weekend. … |
|
The Cardinals went 2-0 against the Wildcats, beating them 3-0 in the opening round of the SMU Sugar Loaf Classic, then riding the 57-assist performance of Melissa Cowan to a 3-2 MIAC win over CSC on Oct. 12, 2002. |
|
Kirsten Rouzer (Comstock, Wis.) collected a team-high 57 kills and 45 digs during SMU's four matches at the River City Classic. … Tracy Koertgen (Crystal Lake, Ill.) was close behind, tallying 55 kills, while leading the team in attach % (.406) and aces (eight). … Katie Christensen (Crystal Lake, Ill.) enjoyed a career-high nine blocks during SMU's match vs. Coe and finished the four-match tournament with 25 blocks. … SMU's 3-1 win over UW-La Crosse last Wednesday was the Cardinals' first win in three tries vs. a ranked opponent. … The Cardinals' 3-0 loss to Loras snapped their nine-match winning streak. |
vs. 
 |
Year Hometown |
WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University volleyball team's nine-match winning streak came to a screeching halt last Saturday afternoon, as Loras handed the Cardinals a 30-27, 32-30, 30-21 setback in the first game of Day 2 of the River City Classic.
How did the Cardinals responded to their first loss since back-to-back 3-2 losses to Southwestern and Bethel on the opening day of the season three weeks ago?
Simple — they took out their frustrations on Fontbonne, promptly starting a new winning streak with a 30-25, 30-22, 30-24 win.
"This was a great weekend for us — it was a good weekend in terms of volleyball, but it was a great weekend in terms of our team being able to refocus and make a statement," said SMU coach Mike Lester, referring to the fact that the River City Classic was the first time SMU was without all-conference outside hitter Ashley Dingels (Gibbon, Minn.), who is out for the season after tearing her ACL in last Wednesday's match against UW-La Crosse.
"Losing Ashley was a big blow to everyone on this team," Lester continued. "But, there's more to this team than just Ashley, and that's what was so important about this weekend — it was this team's chance to make a statement that, even without Ashley, they are still a great team."
More important than the second-place fiinsh at the River City Classic, was the fact that SMU won its final match of the tournament, giving the Cardinals some much-needed momentum heading into Wednesday's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener against St. Catherine Wednesday.
"Our preseason is pretty much over now," said Lester, noting that 10 of the Cardinals' next 11 matches are conference matches. "Our focus now has to be on playing our best volleyball every night.
"The MIAC is so tough, we can't afford to take any matches lightly — we need to make sure we are mentally, and physcially, ready at all times.
"Our goal has always been to win the conference championship, and what we've done to this point has helped prepare us for that challenge."
Now the Cardinals are playing for keeps.