They didn’t end up winning any matches on the season, but the Blue Devils volleyball team showed that they did make some strides as they dropped their final match in five games to Western Wisconsin Tech. by scores of 18-25, 26-24, 25-22, 19-25, 15-5 in Riverland Gym Wednesday.

Riverland had just seven players this season and head coach Sara Heim took over the team just a week before the first practice, so it was understandable when it fell to WWT by two lopsided scores in their second match.

The story was different on Wednesday as the Blue Devils were one point from taking a two-game lead as they led the second game 24-22 after a kill by Robin Arjes, but they couldn’t close it out as RCC missed the ensuing serve and WWT scored the last four points.

“I wish we could watch the tape of our first match against this team compared to tonight,” RCC head coach Sara Heim said. “The first time, we couldn’t keep up with their scrappiness and tonight we did. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team improve so much in one season as we did.”

RCC (0-21 overall) was tied 21 all in game three but it couldn’t hold on, but it bounced back to take the fourth game as Arjes had two key kills and Rebekah Aase finished it off with an ace serve.

The Blue Devils ran out of gas in the final game as they fell behind 10-2 and couldn’t get back in it.

“Their run of seven points did us in,” Heim said. “It’s hard to come back in a 15-point game.”

Arjes, a sophomore from Austin, finished with 12 kills and four blocks, while Cassie Masberg, a sophomore from Waterville/Elysian/Morristown, had 12 kills and two ace serves.

During last Friday’s match, RCC raised $120 for the fight against cancer.

RCC stats: Cassie Masberg, 12 kills, 2 aces; Robin Arjes, 12 kills, 4 blocks; Brittney Dahl, 24 assists, 6 kills; Rebekah Aase, 2 aces, 7 blocks; Brooke Coughlin, 2 aces, 15 digs; Laura Hemann, 10 digs