LATROBE, Pa. - After a shaky start in game one of the Bearcat Challenge against Wooster, the Franciscan women's volleyball team bounced back with a tight five-set victory over Frostburg State 25-27, 25-23, 25-19, 20-25 and 16-14.

"They really turned it around and battled," head coach Kelly Herrmann said. "It was a good team. We hit a lot of balls at them, they dug a lot of balls. They had some very good hitters and so it was really a battle. Everybody did what they needed to do."

Excitement and nerves were running high on the Lady Barons side of the court during this season-opening tournament, which was reflected in the lopsided 25-5 score of the first set against Wooster.

"For our first match, honestly, it was kind of what I expected," Herrmann said. "Our girls tend to be a little pensive, a little nervous in the beginning because they are so fired up and can't wait to play. The good news is, no one panicked. Everybody relaxed. We just played better and better as the game went on."

Once the first-game jitters finally settled down, the Franciscan attackers started swinging better, bringing up the team's hitting percentage and committing fewer errors, but it wasn't enough to swing the momentum of the game. Wooster was able to prevail in the end with a three-set sweep - 5-25, 19-25 and 26-28.

Sophomore right side hitter Bella Wedig was the team's leading attacker in the first game with seven kills. Outside hitters senior Dani Link and freshman Maria Ciola each added five kills of their own.

The second match against Frostburg also had a little bit of a slow start as the Lady Barons had a large break between the two games, making it harder for them to carry over their energy from the first game.

"We started out okay, but we really need to start better," Herrmann said. "Part of that comes with trusting each other and really knowing your role and just feeling peace in that. It will take a little time to develop."

Freshman setter Becca Haven knew her role from the beginning as she was the main facilitator of the Lady Barons offense. Haven finished with 33 assists against Frostburg, which was only her second collegiate match, and she even put away the final point in the fifth set for the win.

"She's kind of in a tough place but, boy, I've never met anybody who was more up for the challenge," Herrmann said about Haven. "Becca doesn't look for the easy way out. She's looking to set tough balls and she pushes the ball way out to the pin. She makes tough sets. She challenges herself."

With two more games in the next 24 hours, the Lady Barons will really be pushing themselves physically, mentally and emotionally. As challenging as tournament weekends can be, especially with five-set matches, ultimately they help the team to be as prepared as possible for the conference tournament at the end of the season.

"It really is about the mental toughness," Herrmann said. "When you lose your mental edge, when you let your confidence slip, when you let your emotions go flat, you can lose to about anybody. When you are fired up, focused and having fun, you can beat anybody. It's just what we have to learn as a team."

The Lady Barons will take on Saint Vincent College and Waynesburg University in day two of the Bearcat Challenge on September 5 at 11 am and 3 pm.