Playing without and ill Andrea Herzog, whose front-line play has been a key to recent victories, the Eagles fell 26-24, 21-25, 25-21, 23-25, 12-15.

“The girls had to adjust to a different rotation, which isn't something you like to do without a practice,” Hale coach Kristi Benedict said. “Overall they played quite well, but we aren't playing well enough offensively to win the matches. To win, you need to consistently hit the ball hard and we haven't done that all season. We continue to be plagued by mistakes on our side of the net and with rally scoring, you just can't do that.”

The Eagles also had trouble containing Atlanta star Liz Morton, who has been a thorn in Hale's side the past couple of seasons.

Leading the Eagles (6-9, 5-4 NSL) were Shannon Self with 7 aces, Karys McKulsky with 11 kills and 3 blocks; Brandi Jaremba with 22 assists; and Erin Grove with 10 digs.