DUBUQUE, Iowa — It was a tough final day for the Saint Mary's volleyball team (6-7) at Dubuque in the Loras/Dubuque Invite. The team battled to four sets against a tough UW-River Falls (5-6) team and finished with a defeat over No. 23 ranked Dubuque (12-0).
SMU 1, UWRF 3
Brenna Bruchert led the Cardinals with 11 kills and contributed eight digs and three blocks. Kali Olson posted a strong attack percentage of .360 with 10 kills on 25 attempts, adding six digs.
Kinlee Grattan recorded 15 digs and added 10 assists, highlighting her all-around performance. Claire Rahman excelled at the service line with three aces and supported the defense with 12 digs.
The first set saw UW-River Falls establish a commanding lead over the Cardinals with a 25-11 victory. The Falcons capitalized on several errors from the Cardinals at the start of the set and a series of attack errors. The errors led to a five-point run, bringing the score to 12-4. Saint Mary's struggled to find momentum, with Bruchert and Maddie Baker providing brief offensive sparks, but it was not enough to halt the Falcons dominance.
In the second set between the Cardinals and the Falcons, the teams exchanged early points, reaching a 6-6 tie with K. Olson contributing significantly for Saint Mary's with multiple kills. The Falcons responded with a brief surge to lead 9-6, but the Cardinals quickly regained momentum with a service ace from Grattan, leveling the score at 9-9. A crucial turning point came when the Cardinals pulled ahead with a series of scoring plays that included a service ace by Bruchert, moving the score to 14-10. They continued to build on their lead, with Rahman's service aces extending it to 18-12. The Cardinals were able to close the set at 25-15 with a final kill by Bruchert from Ayla Olson, showcasing a strong finish.
The Cardinals started strong with an early 4-1 lead in the third set, which started by a service ace from Bruchert at 1-1 and a service ace from Paige Klug at 7-4. The Falcons responded tying the score at 8-8. Both teams exchanged points until the Falcons gained momentum with a string of plays, taking a 19-18 lead. The Falcons extended their lead with a decisive 6-0 run, culminating in a 25-19 set win.
Another set started with the teams trading points with neither able to gain a significant early lead. The Cardinals attempted to close the gap with a kill from Bruchert, making the score 13-12, but service errors hampered their momentum. Despite efforts from Saint Mary's, including a kill by K. Olson, the Falcons maintained control, winning the set 25-18.
SMU 0, UD 3
Bruchert led the team again with 10 kills and added nine digs, contributing significantly to the defensive effort. Devann Clemens contributed 10 assists, reinforcing the team's setup plays.
The Cardinals knew it would be a tough battle against the ranked Spartans and started game two, set one with an early lead, highlighted by Rahman's service ace and a subsequent attack error by the Spartans, pushing the score to 2-0. The Spartans responded with a surge, including a service ace and two service errors by the Cardinals, leveling the score at 4-4. The teams continued to trade points until Dubuque gained momentum with a series of service aces from Alexis Kammerer, extending their lead to 17-14. K. Olson tried to keep the Cardinals in the game with multiple kills but the Spartans capitalized on several attack errors, closing out the set with a 25-19 victory.
In set two, the Spartans quickly established a 13-6 lead capitalizing on attack errors by the Cardinals that led to a significant 7-0 scoring run. The Cardinals attempted to respond, with Bruchert recording kills at critical moments. However, the Spartans defense kept the pressure on, and Dubuque reached a 19-8 lead. There was no rally back as the Spartans maintained their momentum and secured the set with a 25-13 finish.
In set three, Dubuque established early momentum with a 4-1 run, capped by a service ace at 8-4. The Cardinals responded with a kill from Bruchert, but the Spartans' Kiley Elgert and Chloe Reiser maintained the pressure, pushing the lead to 14-6. A strategic timeout by the Cardinals couldn't halt the Spartans advance as they extended their lead to 19-11. The Cardinals managed a late push, including two kills from A. Olson, narrowing the gap to 24-17 before Dubuque closed the set, securing a 25-17 victory.
The busy week is over for the Cardinals as they gear up for their next competition on September 20th at Martin Luther for a noon start.
