Match Summary

ELMHURST, Ill. — The road certainly didn't get any easier for the Saint Mary's University volleyball team during Saturday's second day of the Elmhurst Tournament.

After opening their season with a 3-1 win over the University of Chicago on Friday, the Cardinals found themselves staring across the court at 25th-ranked Elmhurst. And the Bluejays showed why they are considered among the nation's elite, as they rallied from a Game 1 loss to beat SMU 3-1.

As if facing one team ranked in the AVCA's Top 25 wasn't hard enough for the Cardinals, SMU's first opponent on Saturday was none other than Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference power Saint Benedict.

Make that MIAC power — and 14th-ranked — Saint Benedict.

And the Blazers gave SMU a preview of what to expect when the MIAC season rolls around, as Saint Benedict cruised to a 3-0 win. Adrian (Mich.) kept the Cardinals reeling in their second game, as the Bulldogs handed SMU its third straight loss, 3-1.

"This was a good tournament for us," said SMU coach Mike Lester ."We are a young team and a tournament like this helps give everyone a good idea what to expect as the season progresses.

"To face two teams ranked in the Top 25, and another that won its conference title a year ago (Adrian) — that's some pretty good competition," continued Lester. "There were plenty of bright spots, but there's also a lot of room for improvement."

One of those areas for improvement, according to Lester, is consistency.

"Our inconsistency really hurt us all weekend," said Lester, noting that SMU was tied late in both the third and fourth games against Adrian, only to fizzle down the stretch. "We proved this weekend that we have the ability to play with anyone. The problem is, we don't have that aggressiveness once the game gets to 20 points.

"The Adrian match is a perfect example," continued Lester. "We were tied 22-22 in Game 3, and lost 30-24, and we were tied 18-18 in Game 4, and lost 30-20. In that match, and in several of the matches we played, we would be right there, then we'd give away a point here or there.

"And against competition like that, you can't afford to do that."