Tuesday made for a busy day for Saint Mary's athletics. The Belles soccer team wrapped up its regular season, while volleyball played its penultimate road contest.
Soccer
The 2023 season came to an end for the Belles on a disappointing note. Though they entered the match on a hot streak, scoring five goals in their previous two games (both wins), the Belles fell 3-0 to Hope. Though it took until the second half for Hope to break through, they were the superior team from the opening whistle. A heroic effort by goalkeeper Caroline Miklavcic kept the game even, as the sophomore made five saves in the opening 45 minutes.Ultimately, Hope broke through courtesy of a goal by Carley Wagasky just 3:13 after the teams returned from the half. The Flying Dutch kept their foot on the gas, outshooting the Belles 11-1 in the second half. Margaret Owsiany extended the lead in the 67th minute, then put the game out of reach by capitalizing on Hope's third corner of the half to make it 3-0. Miklavcic ultimately finished with a season-high nine saves.
The Belles finish the season with an 8-8-1 record. However, Saint Mary's was just 2-5-1 in conference play, a record not good enough to reach the MIAA Tournament. It does represent a significant step forward from 2022 when the Belles went 0-13-3 and lost all eight of their conference games.
Volleyball
Though Tuesday was not the end of the Belles' volleyball season, they too lost by a 3-0 score, falling on the road to Olivet. The Belles showed an impressive fight in the third set, which went deep into extra points before the Comets eventually won 34-32. The Belles had five chances to put Olivet away and force a fourth set, but could not get the job done.Junior outside hitter Cali Allen and freshman middle hitter Caroline Carens finished with 13 kills each. Junior setter Shani Russell delivered a match-high 35 assists as well. The Belles begin their final homestand of the year Friday, a two-game stretch that begins with a non-conference contest against Kalamazoo. The match begins at 7 p.m.
