Volleyball

AURORA, Ill. – The Mount Mary College volleyball team entered a bustling campus and hostile atmosphere Wednesday, and host Aurora used its home court to its full advantage, sweeping the Blue Angels 25-20, 25-21, 25-15.

"When we arrived at Aurora University, we were met with a very large and loud team. I think initially we started out playing kind of shaky or nervous because this was probably the loudest it has ever been in a gym for us," head coach Kelsey Peterson said.

Mount Mary appeared intimidated from the start, falling behind big early. After a quick timeout, the Blue Angels responded by creeping back into what had appeared to be a blowout, pulling to within 19-20 late in the opening set. Having expended much of its energy getting back into the set, an ensuing series of errors and Spartan kills finally put the game away.

The Blue Angels responded with positive energy in the second set, but trouble at the service line hindered any momentum they could muster. The inconsistent play continued into the third set as Aurora cruised to the match victory.

"Once the ladies calmed down and focused, they began to operate smoother, but by the time we got some momentum it was too late for the first set," Peterson said. "The second set we started out with more energy and fire but service errors killed us. We also started playing sloppy… not perfectly passing easy free balls and lobbing over easy dinks. Despite that, I was really impressed with Alexis Hafemeister. She was able to get some great kills against a much taller Aurora defense and also contributed by serving aggressively."

Hafemeister, a freshman right side hitter, also tallied a match-high three service aces on what was otherwise an atrocious day from the service line. The Blue Angels tallied seven service errors, most of which coming at crucial points of the match.

The Blue Angels will have plenty of time to wear off this rough stretch of the season as they will enter a two-week break before they travel to Alverno College next Tuesday, October 9. Game time against the rival Inferno is slated for 7 p.m.