ALGONA - The St. Edmond volleyball team came out on the short end in all three games against No. 7 (Class 3A) Algona in their North Central Conference opener here Thursday.
Scores were 25-9, 25-12 and 25-7.
Emma Drzycimski finished 8-for-9 serving with three kills and one ace to pace the Gaels (2-5 overall, 0-1 in the NCC).
Marti Dencklau and Kaitlyn Barrett each went 4 of 4 on serves. Dencklau also contributed seven assists and Barrett added eight digs.
Alison Nagel chipped in eight kills and three blocks as well for SEHS.
''It was obviously a tough night for us,'' said Gael head coach Dee Huss. ''Algona is very skilled and well-rounded, and we're still working through some issues right now. We're a young team, so our kids need to stay focused, keep their heads high, and continue to work hard every day in practice.''
Natalie Hackbarth paced the Bulldogs (6-1, 1-0) with 18 kills, six digs and two blocks.
Kirstin Lipps tallied six kills and four blocks, while Kelsey Kuecker went 26-for-26 on serves with two aces for Algona.
The Gaels are back in action on Saturday at the Rockwell City-Lytton tournament. Start time is set for 9 a.m.