By Tiffany L. Rehbein
No one told the MSU-Northern Skylights that the letters NAIA and NCAA meant different leagues of play.
The Skylights took on NCAA Div.-III Concordia College Friday in Moorhead, Minn.
They dropped the upsetting match 2-15, 15-9, 18-16, 8-14, 13-15.
We had them two games to one, first year head coach Lisa Handley said. It was upsetting to lose it.
Concordias tough jump serving kept the Skylights scrambling for the side out.
They served consistent and hard, Handley said. Our girls just couldnt pull it out.
Senior co-captain Melanie Baack landed three aces, with a 100 percent serving percentage, and had six kills in the contest.
The Skylights as a team tallied a 94 percent serving percentage in the effort.
We have got to get used to the idea that we can beat teams, Handley said. We can compete with teams of this caliber.
Offensively, the Skylights maneuvered some players in different positions. Baack moved to the left side hitting position and co-captain Connie Fritz was moved to the right side.
Baack led in team digs with 27 from her new position.
In the second match against NCAA-Div. II University of North Dakota, the Skylights were downed 11-15, 2-15, 7-15.
They were really good, Handley said. They had an outside who pounded hard. It was something that we will probably never see again.
Even in the loss, the Skylights tallied their best hitting percentage of the season in the effort.
Baack had a team-high 12 kills in the contest.
Jessica Gerenz collected six kills and Adrienne Poplawski smashed four in the match.
One disappointment Handley observed was the lack of intensity by the end of the match.
They were ready to give up, Handley said. They can play with any team if they believe it. Weve just got to hold our heads up.
The Skylights travel to Dillon this weekend to play in the Frontier Conference Tournament.
We understand more clearly about what its going to take to compete and win, Handley said.
