DUBUQUE, Iowa The Saint Mary's University volleyball team's eight-game winning streak came to a screeching halt 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.
Kirstan Rouzer (Comstock, Wis.) recorded a team-high 15 kills and added eight digs against Loras, while Rachel Rivers (Apple Valley, Minn.) chipped in 10 kills and five digs.
Tracy Koertgen (Crystal Lake, Ill.) led four Cardinals in double figures with 17 kills against Fontbonne. Rouzer finished with 16 kills and four blocks, with Katie Christensen (Crystal Lake, Ill.) pounding 11 kills and eight blocks, and Rivers chipping in 10 kills and 11 digs.
With the split, SMU moves to 9-3 overall heading into Wednesday Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener at home against St. Catherine.