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Needing to come from behind twice on Saturday, Lourdes finished the RMU Eagles Classic with a perfect 4-0 record, and the best start in program history after defeating Saint Xavier and Cardinal Stritch at the RMU Athletic & Convocation Center in Arlington Heights, Ill.  The Gray Wolves defeated the Cougars in five sets 25-27, 25-16, 27-29, 25-23, 15-12 before downing Cardinal Stritch 22-25, 25-21, 25-14, 25-13.
 
"This weekend was a huge step for us," head coach Greg Reitz said.  "We did what we needed to do for us to obtain our ultimate goal.  We had some really strong performances on the weekend."
 
Lourdes needed to rally from a set down twice against Saint Xavier as well as an 8-5 deficit in the final stanza to defeat the Cougars in five sets for the second straight season.  Stephanie Richards (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg H.S.) tallied 17 kills and hit .306 for the Gray Wolves while Ave Stout (Huntertown, Ind./Bishop Luers H.S.) added 12 kills on 26 swings to hit .423.
 
"This was a great win for us against a quality opponent," Reitz stated.  "We had to battle back twice from behind and got the job done.  It's nice to win a five-set match early in the season."
 
The Gray Wolves built an early 13-8 lead in the opening set before Saint Xavier battled back to pull within one, 15-14.  Lourdes maintained its advantage until late, leading 22-19, before the Cougars scored four straight points to take their first lead of the day.  The Gray Wolves fought off two set points before the Cougars scored the 27-25 win.
 
In the second set, Lourdes hit .435 with just two attack errors to even the match.  Molly Shonk's (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Hartley H.S.) serve led an early 6-0 run and Stef Comte (Toledo, Ohio/Notre Dame H.S.) served up seven straight points as the Gray Wolves built a 16-7 lead and never looked back.
 
Extra points were needed again in the third set as 15 ties and six lead changes occurred before Saint Xavier's 29-27 win.  Neither team led by more than three points in the set, and the Cougars needed four set points, while also fighting off one from Lourdes, to retake the lead in the match.
 
Lourdes led most of the way in the fourth set, but needed to hold off a late Saint Xavier charge to force the decisive fifth set.  The Gray Wolves led 24-21 before back-to-back points from the Cougars pulled them to within one.  Shonk's kill on the third set point extended the match.
 
The Gray Wolves fell behind 8-5 in the final set as the teams changed sides before six straight points behind Meghan Birr's (Muskegon, Mich./Mona Shores H.S.) serve put Lourdes in front for good.  Lourdes hit .368 in the final set, and closed the match on a Stout kill. 
 
Lourdes finished the match hitting .215 as Shonk tallied 10 kills and added 15 digs for a double-double.  Birr handed out 42 assists while Michi Jimenez (Vega Baja, P.R./Juan Quirindongo Morell H.S.) led the Gray Wolves with 19 digs.  Stephanie Ruffing (Columbus, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty H.S.) chipped in 12 digs while Stout registered four blocks defensively.
 
Heidi Gregerson led Saint Xavier (0-1) with 15 kills while Sydney McPhillips added 11 kills and 15 digs.
 
In the finale of the tournament, Lourdes again had to rally after dropping the opening set, before defeating Cardinal Stritch. Ruffin tallied 23 kills and hit .432 while Jimenez registered 29 digs in four sets.
 
"I was very happy with the win against a quality Cardinal Stritch team, especially to do it in four sets" Reitz added.  "We started out shaky in the first, but figured things out as we went along.  We served consistently aggressively throughout."
 
The Gray Wolves raced out to a quick lead in the opening set, scoring five of the match's first six points against the Wolves.  Lourdes led by as many as seven, and held a 15-10 lead when Cardinal Stritch went on a run.  The Wolves scored seven of the next eight points to tie take a 17-16.  Lourdes responded, retaking the lead 20-19, only to have the Wolves score six of the final eight to earn the win.
 
A 7-2 run in the second set turned a 5-4 deficit into a four-point advantage for the Gray Wolves.  Lourdes extended the lead to six, 15-9, and maintained a four-to-six point lead most of the set.  Cardinal Stritch made a late run, closing to within two, 21-19, before the Gray Wolves evened the match.  Ruffing tallied six kills for the second straight set for Lourdes.
 
Lourdes was in control throughout the third, scoring 17 of the first 22 points while coasting to a 25-14 win.  Ruffing and Richards each had five kills and hit over .550 in the set, and the Gray Wolves hit .467 as a team, with 17 kills and just three miscues.
 
Leading 12-7 in the fourth, Lourdes scored nine of the next 13 points to cruise to the victory.  The Gray Wolves hit .457 in the final set, as Ruffing closed her performance with six more kills.
 
As a team Lourdes swung at a .321 clip for the match, with Richards registering 14 kills and Comte adding 11 more.  Birr handed out 51 assists in the four sets.  Jimenez added three service aces to go along with her dig total.
 
Tayler Hegg led Cardinal Stritch (2-2), which was receiving votes in the initial NAIA Top-25 poll, with 11 kills.
 
Lourdes (4-0) will return to regular season action on Wednesday, Sept. 2, as the Gray Wolves open Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference play against Marygrove.  First serve is slated for 7 p.m. at the Northwest Activities Center in Detroit, Mich.