MILWAUKEE – The Mount Mary University volleyball team dropped its MSOE Invitational opener Friday afternoon to crosstown foe Milwaukee School of Engineering, 25-18, 25-21, 25-14. The two-day, eight-match tournament was originally scheduled to take place at MSOE's Hotchkin Arena but was moved to Mount Mary's own Bloechl Center.

The loss moved MMU to 3-11 overall on the year, while MSOE improved to 8-5. 

Offense proved hard to come by most of the weekend, as MMU recorded just 16 kills as a team in the tournament opener. Junior Aislinn Strusz (Aurora, Ill./West Aurora) led Mount Mary with five kills and junior Emma Carufel (St. Francis, Wis./St. Francis) and sophomore Brianna Ecker (Fond du Lac, Wis./Stockbridge) each added four.  Freshman Emma White (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro) doled out 15 assists. 

MSOE wasn't particularly efficient offensively either, though outhit Mount Mary .136 to (-).074 as a team. The Raiders did tally six total blocks, to MMU's one. 

Defensively, freshman Ahlyna Cason (Smithton, Mo./Smithton R-VI) had a match-high 14 digs with Ecker adding 10.

The Blue Angels return to the Bloechl Center for a two-match Saturday slate against Maranatha Baptist University and Central College (Iowa).