Senior Night Thwarted by Thunder

Box Score

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The Saint Mary's volleyball program recognized senior libero Meghann Rose before their last evening home match of the season, but visiting Trine spoiled the night's events with a 3-1 (27-25, 25-17, 25-27, 25-21) decision over the Belles on Friday.

The opening set saw 11 tie scores and seven lead changes as the Belles battled back from a deficit midway through the set. With the score at 12-12, Trine had five consecutive points to go up 17-12. Saint Mary's stormed right back with four points of the their own to get within 18-16. Still trailing by that two-point margin at 21-19, the Belles took three of the next four points to knot the game at 22. Saint Mary's then held off a set-point situation for Trine with a kill by Allison Zandarski. The Thunder, however, notched a kill and used a ball hit wide by the Belles to take the opener 27-25.

In the second set, Trine mounted a 20-9 lead that included an eight-point run to grab an insurmountable lead. The Belles never gave up in the second set as Meghann Rose helped Saint Mary's get within six points at 23-17 with three consecutive aces. Trine, however, was able to get back-to-back points for the 25-17 win to go up two sets to none.

The Thunder were posed to take a three-set sweep of the Belles late in the third set. Having built a 21-14 lead, Trine was looking to complete the sweep, but the Belles had other things in mind. Taking advantage of a Thunder hitting error, the Belles got an ace from Stephanie Bodien and a block by Taylor Etzell and Danie Brink to get within four points of the Thunder. A few points later, Saint Mary's again benefited from Thunder mistakes to tie the set at 23-23. The Belles staved off match point twice at 24-23 and 25-24 before closing out a 27-25 comeback win in the set on a block by Bodien and Etzell.

The Belles' attempt to force a fifth set came up short on Friday, however. Trine broke a 4-4 tie with three straight points and never relinquished the lead after that point on their way to the 25-21 fourth-set win.

Stephanie Bodien led the Belles with 10 kills and 10 digs on the night for her fifth double-double of the 2011 season. Danie Brink, meanwhile, added her 13th double-double of the season with 18 assists and 11 digs. Meghann Rose had 16 digs and four service aces to lead Saint Mary's. Christi Wyble had four block assists and teammate Allison Zandarski had a solo block and three block assists to both finish with four blocks on the night.

The Belles (7-15, 5-8 MIAA) will host #15 Hope tomorrow at noon in their final home match of the 2011 season.