Though the team did capture two of the first three sets, coach Pati Rolf did not feel her squad was complacent when it dropped the final two sets.

"The inconsistency in our maturity and the mental letdowns were the reason why we fell apart," Rolf said. "We had some games we should have closed out and we just need to get more consistency."

In the five-set match, the Eagles had five players with double-digit attacks. Leading the way was junior Erica Heisser, who had 13 kills. Also in double-digit territory for kills were freshman Jamie Mueller, senior Ann Lopata and sophomore Aga Niemcezewska.

Day two of the tournament began when the team took on Kansas. The match totaled three sets with the Golden Eagles falling to Kansas with scores of 30-20, 30-20 and 30-25. With its victory, Kansas improved its season record to 4-1.

The match against Kansas saw only one Eagle in double-digit attacks, as Heisser lead the team with 11 kills.

Later on Saturday, the team finished the day — as well as the tournament — when it met Minnesota, which came into the match with a ranking of 13. The Golden Gophers are the highest ranked team the Eagles have faced this year.

Prior to the match, Rolf tweaked the lineup by starting junior Erin Freer in the hitting position instead of on defense, in order to generate more offense.

Rolf said her goal in substituting players was to "try to find a group of kids with a bit more experience and more maturity on the floor, and hopefully we will get that with Erin playing offense."

Despite the last-minute lineup changes going into the final tournament game, the Eagles fell in three sets to Minnesota with scores of 30-26, 30-24 and 30-26.

Though the team lost the game, Rolf went on to say she felt it was a game where they showed their "true colors."

"That game showed us what we are capable of," she said. "This was a huge improvement and the kids were excited about how they finished."

In the match, Freer and sophomore Theresa Coughlin finished with eight attacks each, while senior Gemma Greer handed out 24 assists and also led in digs with 10.

This weekend the team hosts the Marquette/Holiday Inn City Center Challenge, taking on Bradley on Friday and going to battle with Ohio and Missouri on Saturday. After two consecutive weekends on the road, Rolf looks forward to playing the role as the home team this time.

"After playing the last two weekends on the road, we're tired," Rolf said. "It's important to be at home, otherwise the kids just finish up like road warriors."