Lyle/Pacelli can chalk it up to improvement.

The L/P volleyball team, playing without their top returner in Louise Mudra, won the first game but lost the next three in a Southeast Conference clash with Spring Grove Thursday night in Lyle.

The visiting Lions remained atop the SEC standings in the early going with their second win in as many matches in league play. L/P slipped to 0-2 while awaiting Mudra's return. Spring Grove won by scores of 8-15, 15-5, 15-9, 15-12.

"We looked a lot better than we did Tuesday," said L/P co-coach Carl Ellis. Mabel-Canton picked up a 3-0 victory in both teams' season-opener Tuesday, and Lyle/Pacelli showed major signs of improvement in Thursday's defeat.

"I don't have any problem with the way we played tonight," co-coach Norm Blaser said. "There wasn't anything bad about tonight's game except the score."

Spring Grove's Kelsey Anderson rallied the Lions with 13 kills, including four in the second and fourth games of the match. Jenny Schieber added eight kills and Erin Wiste chipped in six.

Lyle/Pacelli was definitely the more aggressive team in the match, but service errors and some troubles with serve-receive and Spring Grove's tipping attack dropped L/P to 0-2.

"They started tipping on us, and when you tip you don't make any mistakes," Coach Ellis said. "We played well tonight. Serving probably hurt us the most."

L/P committed 11 service errors against their six aces. Spring Grove racked up 11 aces, most of which came in the last two games.

"We had some service errors that hurt us a lot, and they made a lot of nice digs against us," Coach Blaser said. "We've got kids in there now who've had to step up, and they stepped up."

Mudra has missed the first two games of the season and will likely miss a few more after having a swollen lymph node surgically removed Tuesday morning. L/P's lineup has had to adjust around her absence, and on Thursday the team showed signs of improvement in all phases.

Kristina Hollerud led the way with 11 kills, followed by Taryn Emery and Lindsay Halbach with 10 each. All three are sophomores. Angela Kuttner, a junior, added seven kills and three blocks.

As bad as L/P's serving may have seemed, Kelsey Sampson and Rebecca Mino were perfect from behind the service stripe. Sampson was 15-15 with 10 service points, and Mino was 16-16 for seven points. Mino also had 31 successful set-assists.

Kuttner led with 15 digs, Halbach added 14 and Hollerud 11.

L/P plays a pair of SEC game next week, starting at Glenville-Emmons on Tuesday. Lyle/Pacelli hosts LeRoy-Ostrander on Thursday.

Around the SEC

LeRoy-Ostrander's record evened at 1-1 after a 3-0 loss to defending conference champion Mabel-Canton. The Cougars swept the match, 15-3, 15-8, 15-7. The Cardinals host Grand Meadow on Tuesday.

Grand Meadow also fell for the first time this season, losing a four-game match at home to Lanesboro. The Burros won by scores of 15-12, 8-15, 15-8, 15-5. Kelli Petzel led the Superlarks with eight kills, and Nickole Stier added seven. Sarah Holm handed out 11 set-assists.