Kicking off their season at the Cedar Point Invitational, the Saint Mary’s volleyball team won all four of their games over the weekend.
Oberlin
In their first match of the season, Saint Mary’s earned a routine 3-0 victory over Oberlin. In set one, the Belles took an early 3-0 lead after senior hitter Delaney Martin forced an error and added a kill along with a service ace from sophomore setter Guiliana Graczyk. The Belles continued their run throughout the first set. The junior duo of middle hitter Caroline Carens and setter Abby Reese led the way, tallying 11 kills and 15 assists, respectively, to finish the first set 25-15.
The second set looked much different as the two teams battled back and forth for the lead. Oberlin used some regained momentum to pull ahead in the middle of the set, but lost a 17-16 lead they would never get back. Thanks to the efforts of Reese, Martin, hitter Grace Braselton and junior defensive specialist Karli Fegan, the Belles pulled out a 25-21 win to take a 2-0 set lead.
In the third and final set, the Belles used a fast 5-0 start to maintain an early lead. Multiple kills from the Belles kept them ahead until Oberlin managed to tie the score at 17. The teams stayed within a point down the stretch until Oberlin's errors caught up to them. Saint Mary's pulled away in the final moments, with a kill from Carens cementing a 25-21 set win, and with it, the match.
Mt. St. Joseph
In their second match of the day, the Belles overcame a tougher opponent in the Lions. In a hard-fought first set, the two teams shared seven ties and four lead changes. Tied at 24-24, Saint Mary’s was able to capitalize on a pair of costly errors from Mt. St. Joseph to take the 26-24 win.
In the second set, the Belles pulled ahead with a quick 7-4 lead, which they maintained until about the halfway point of the set. They would squander a 14-8 advantage thanks to an 11-2 Mt. St. Joseph run, giving them a 19-16 lead. The Belles didn't go away, putting a few points up on the board down the stretch, but the Lions came out on top with the 25-20 win and tied the overall score at 1-1.
The third set of the night featured another back-and-forth battle between the two teams. Mt. St. Joseph's first two points were quickly followed by a 5-0 Saint Mary’s run thanks to a pair of kills from sophomore outside hitter Kalli Lewkowski, a kill from Braselton and a kill from freshman outside hitter and defensive specialist Shannon Rudge. The two teams battled their way to a 14-14 tie about halfway through. From there, Saint Mary’s would take 11 of the final 13 points en route to a 25-15 win.
Similar to the first three sets of the contest, the two teams were neck in neck in the fourth. Tied at 19, the stakes were high entering crunch time. Mt. St. Joseph rattled off two points before Rudge brought the score back within one for the Belles. After trading the next few points, Saint Mary’s came through when it mattered most yet again, using a 4-0 run to earn the 25-23 win and the 3-1 match victory.
Hiram
The Belles opened up day two of the Invitational against the Hiram Terriers. The first set started went the Belles' way, with Martin's five kills and Reese's eight assists powering the 25-20 win.
Going into the second set, the Belles continued a streak of staying ahead early. They staved off a late push from the Terriers, who recovered from an early deficit and cut the score to 21-19. Saint Mary's did not let that shake them, though, as they rounded out the second set with a 25-21 win, executing in the clutch once again.
The third set, however, was all Terriers. With an early jump, they took advantage of several Belles' defensive errors, ultimately allowing them to win 25-13 and making the overall match score 2-1.
Similar to the last set, Hiram took an early lead in the fourth, which they extended as far as 13-6. From there, Saint Mary’s dominated the remainder of the match, winning 19 of the final 23 points. A kill from Carens and two forced errors capped off the set at 25-17 and secured a 3-1 match victory for the Belles.
Kenyon
After improving to 3-0, the Belles faced their final opponent of the weekend in Kenyon.
After dropping the first set 25-18, the Owls fought back in the second. While the two teams stayed close throughout, Kenyon managed to pull away in the last few moments to take a 25-22 win and tie the overall score at one set apiece.
Faced with their first 1-1 contest of the season, the third set was an important test for the Belles. Trailing by 20-13, they mustered a gutsy comeback behind the combined effort of Martin and Carens. The former notched multiple huge kills while the latter closed out the set with an imposing block.
The fourth set would prove to be the last of both the match and the invitational, as Saint Mary’s took an early lead that they never surrendered. Coming out with the 25-21 set win, the Belles won the match 3-1 overall.
The four weekend wins put the Belles at a 4-0 start in 2025. They now make their way to Illinois for a clash with Benedictine (Illinois) on Sept. 3 at 7 p.m.
