Lourdes continued play at the GoSarpy.com Labor Day Classic inside the Lied Activity Center in Bellevue, Neb. on Saturday, but suffered a pair of three-set losses to 25^th-ranked Ottawa (Kan.) and Morningside.
 
The Gray Wolves fell 25-21, 25-14, 25-21 to Ottawa in the afternoon before dropping a 25-14, 25-22, 25-19 decision to Morningside in the evening.
 
In the first match, Lourdes was within three, 21-18, late in the first set against Ottawa before the Braves scored the next three points to pull away.  A 13-2 Ottawa run in the second turned an 8-7 Gray Wolf lead into a 20-10 deficit, and the Braves put down 15 kills and hit .379 in the third to secure the win.
 
Kylee McBride (Peoria, Ariz./Mountain Ridge H.S.) led the Gray Wolves with 10 kills while Elise Sanford (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg H.S.) hit .500 with seven kills.  As a team, Lourdes hit .202 for the match.  Defensively, Alli Plasencio (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic H.S.) tallied 13 digs as the Gray Wolves outdug the Braves 43-34.
 
Ryleigh Burdick led Ottawa (4-1) with 11 kills as the Braves hit .346 for the afternoon.
 
"We played a better match this afternoon than we did last night," head coach Greg Reitz said following the opener.  "We were able to run an offense and score some points with our serve.  We still have to work to reduce our errors to give ourselves a chance for success."
 
Lourdes led Morningside 8-7 in the opening set before the Mustangs scored six of the next seven points to pull ahead for good and take the early lead in the match.  The Gray Wolves hit just .056 in the opening stanza while Morningside swung at a .423 clip.
 
The Gray Wolves were within a point, 23-22, late in the second set but were unable to pull even.  The Mustangs then raced out to an 11-2 lead in the third, and despite a late rally but Lourdes, the Gray Wolves were unable to get closer than five the rest of the way.
 
McBride tallied 12 kills while Allie Hale (Holland, Ohio/Springfield H.S.) added 10 more for the Gray Wolves as Lourdes hit just .126 for the night.  Plasencio tallied 25 digs.
 
Krista Zenk and Emma Gerber both had nine kills for Morningside (6-0), as the Mustangs hit .314 for the match.
 
"We played a strong match, but we left a few points on the court tonight and that ended up being the difference in the match," Reitz added after the final contest.  "This was another quality opponent that we hope to learn from and continue to improve."
 
Lourdes (0-3) will close out play at the GoSarpy.com Labor Day Classic on Saturday, as the Gray Wolves face Evangel.  First serve is set for 12 p.m. EDT.