SMU at Sugar Loaf Classic / Saturday, Sept. 9, 2006

vs.
Summary
1
2
3
4
5
F
SMU
30
24
30
18
17
3
Wartburg
25
30
20
30
15
2
Official Box Score / Last Year / Match Highlights: Pam Stanton, SMU: 17 kills; Molli Dant, SMU: 16 kills, 13 digs; Jessica Larson, SMU: 12 kills; Breanna Benham, SMU: 53 assists

vs.
Summary
1
2
3
4
5
F
SMU
26
30
17
27
1
St. Scholastica
30
26
30
30
3
Official Box Score / Last Year / Match Highlights: Molli Dant, SMU: 16 kills, 13 digs; Ashley Wendlandt, SMU: 12 kills; Breanna Benham, SMU: 43 assists; 10 digs


Weary Cardinals settle for 4th after falling to St. Scholastica, 3-1

WINONA, Minn. — As if playing four games in less than 24 hours wasn't enough, the Saint Mary's University volleyball team decided to make sure they got their money's worth at the Jefferson's/SMU Sugar Loaf Classic,

After going the maximum five games in splitting their opening two games Friday evening — falling to Maranatha 3-2 before beating UW-Superior by the same score — the Cardinals made it a five-game trifecta in their first game Saturday, holding off Wartburg 3-2.

And, after splitting their first two games in their third-place match against St. Scholastica, it appeared the Cardinals would go a perfect 4-for-4 in five-game matches.

Unfortunately for SMU, the tank hit empty midway through the third game, and the fumes weren't enough to carry the Cardinals, as they dropped a 3-1 decision to the Saints in the tournament's fifth-place match.

"That was a lot of volleyball," said SMU coach Mike Lester, whose team dropped to 4-6 overall with the 2-2 Sugar Loaf Classic performance. "This is a team that expends a lot of energy when they play, It's tough to play one five-game match, let alone three. And when you play with so much emotion, like we do, it's that much more draining.

"There were a lot of momentum swings all weekend, and in the end, we just ran out of gas — both physically and emotionally"

Nothing came easy for the Cardinals on Saturday, as SMU and Wartburg traded games in their opening match, with the Cardinals rallying from five points down in the fifth and deciding game to pull out the 30-25, 24-30, 30-20, 17-15 win.

And it was more of the same in Round 2, as St. Scholastica jumped out to a 30-26 Game 1 win, only to have SMU turn the tables with a 30-26 win of its own in Game 2. That was as far the Cardinals would go, however, as the Saints put the match away with wins of 30-17 and 30-27.

"It's hard to say you are disappointed (with a 2-2 showing) when you look at the bigger picture," said Lester. "We got some really strong play from a number of players, and I think we are starting to gel a bit as a team.

"I think we learned a lot about ourselves this weekend," continued Lester, whose team opens conference play on Wednesday at Bethel. "I think we learned that when we put our best game on the floor, we're as good as anyone around."