ST. LOUIS, Mo. (Duhawks.com) - On day one of the Labor Day Classic, the Duhawks came up empty handed, dropping both of their matches to Greenville College and Washington University in St. Louis. Junior Kara Kentner made an impressive debut for the purple and gold totaling 23 kills, 36 sets, and 33 digs.

In their first match against Greenville, the teams rallied back and forth all the way to a 26-26 draw. Back-to-back attack errors by Greenville gave Loras the victory in game one.

Unfortunately the momentum wouldn't carry over, as Greeville came back to win the second game 25-15. Greenville rode the wave of a 5-0 run at 14-10 to jump out to the 19-10 lead.

Bouncing back in set three, Loras took the lead early on with a five-point swing at 9-8, with sophomores Therese Schultz and Tara Blake sandwiching the rally with kills, both from Kentner.

At 24-21, Kentner and sophomore Danni Kennedy sealed the win, combining for a block at the net to give Loras the win in game three.

The Duhawks fought with tooth and nail to keep it close in game four, including a four-point run to bring them within two at 20-18. Timely attacks from Greenville in the closing points went without an answer from Loras, resulting in a game four lorss, 25-20.

With the sides drawn even at 10 in the fifth and final game, Greenville went on a 5-0 run to seal the victory for the Panthers.

After a quick break, the Duhawks prepared themselves for their next match against No. 11 Washington University in St. Louis. Despite the gap in national prestige, Loras hung tough with the Bears.

In game one, the Bears pulled away at 18-16, going on a six point run to make it 22-18. Alex Sheredy turned in back-to-back-to-back kills in the run, finishing with nine on the night.

Game two saw Washington University operate at a .467 hitting percentage, making only one error in 30 total attacks. Loras has 12 kills of their own in the second set but couple with six attack errors were unable to bridge the gap, falling 25-15.

With their backs to the wall, the Duhawks fought with everything they had in the tank in set three, but again fell short. The Bears jumped out to a 12-5 lead early on, but Loras came clawing back to make it 14-11. Loras was determined not to go away quietly, fighting back once again after being down 19-12 to come within two at 22-20.

In the end, Washington U. sealed the victory, taking game three 25-21.

The Duhawks finish up the Labor Day Classic on Saturday against Fontbonne. The match will be the first of the season for the Griffins.