Despite solid performances from middle blocker Whitney Lloyd and outside hitter Brooke Reichart, the St. Thomas volleyball team opened up MIAC play with a 3-1 loss to rival St. Benedict Wednesday at Schoenecker Arena.

After dropping the first two sets, the Tommies battled back to take the third. St. Thomas was unable to continue its momentum into the next set though, falling 25-9. Coach Thanh Pham said he was disappointed with his team’s performance.

“I think that we can have a better showing,” Pham said. “We practiced much harder than we showed tonight.”

Lloyd led the team with 11 kills, while Reichart had 10. Pham was happy with the duo’s performance but said he expected more out of the team as a whole.

“They were bright spots, but again it’s a team sport, so we look at it in the totality of things,” Pham said. “We didn’t have enough ball control to get them the ball when we really needed them to step up.”

St. Thomas came out in the third set looking like a whole new team after the disappointing start, taking the game 25-20. That set, however, would prove to be their only victory of the match.

“I think our team came out with a lot of positive energy and really wanted it. We executed well in the first few points and that got us some confidence,” Pham said. “I think that was the difference in set three. We came out very flat in set four and we got steamrolled.”

St. Thomas dropped its conference-opener for the first time since the 2010 season, and it was the team’s first loss to St. Ben’s since 2009.

Reichart said the team needs to “get a lot tougher mentally.”

Lloyd said she sees the loss as an opportunity to grow as a team.

“We’re looking at this loss as a growing point for us to see what we can work on,” she said. “We’re excited to get back to practice tomorrow and really work hard all together.”

St. Thomas will travel to Rock Island, Illinois, Friday to play Augustana (Illinois) and Beloit (Wisconsin).

Jack Burke can be reached at jtburke@stthomas.edu.