OMAHA, Neb. – The Flames split a pair of hard-fought volleyball matches on Friday at their own College of Saint Mary/MH Hospitality Labor Day Classic at the Lied Fitness Center Fieldhouse.

CSM opened by rallying past Peru State College 25-20, 22-25, 17-25, 25-20, 15-10. In the nightcap, 18^th-ranked College of Idaho outlasted the Flames 25-20, 22-25, 25-23, 25-21.

College of Idaho (4-1) had opened its season with a five-set victory over reigning national runner-up Bellevue University. CSM (6-2) took the Yotes to the wire in the last of Friday's 22 matches at both the Lied Fitness Center and Lied Fitness Center Fieldhouse.

"I thought we played a great match vs. Idaho, a really good team who just knocked off Bellevue,'' CSM Coach Rick Pruett said. "It could have gone either way. It was just some missed opportunities that we had.''

After splitting the first two sets against Idaho, CSM had a chance to go ahead by winning the third. The Flames rallied from a 16-10 deficit to lead 23-22 on Mya Weber's kill. But CSM had a service error and two attack errors, allowing the Yotes to win the set.

In the fourth, CSM came fighting back again, trailing 19-16 but then scoring four straight to lead 20-19. Weber had two kills and Madalyn Welp one during that run.

However, College of Idaho scored six of the final seven points to close out the match.

"I was really happy with the girls' performance and effort,'' Pruett said. "I told them, 'That's what we have to have all the time, because if we play like that, we're going to get some wins.'''

Welp led CSM with 15 kills in the second match, while Weber and Azaria Green added 10 apiece. Elen Pruett led the back row with 23 digs and four aces, while Kaitlyn Busby had 18 digs and 19 assists, and Caitlyn McCormack matched Pruett with four aces.

Against Peru State (4-1), Rick Pruett wasn't as pleased, although he did gave his club credit for fighting back to get the victory. Peru State went on to beat Saint Francis (Ind.) in four sets later in the day.

"Obviously we showed some grit,'' he said. "In the first match against Peru State, we didn't play very good volleyball, but we were able to find a way in the fourth and fifth sets to get it done.''

In the fifth set against Peru State, CSM led 5-3 before scoring eight of the next 10 points to lead 13-5 and coast home.

Welp also led CSM in the opener with 12 kills. The 6-foot-1 junior out of Sioux City East had a career day on the right side.

"Mady Welp had a great day,'' Coach Pruett said.

McCormack added 11 kills and Caylin Barnett had 10. Kennedy Buck handed out 26 assists and Busby added 25. Green finished with nine kills, two solo blocks and seven block assists. Elen Pruett made 25 digs and Krissy Radicia was just behind with 20.

"I thought Elen was all over the court, saving things,'' Rick Pruett said. "That energy really helped us in that Peru State game.''

CSM returns to action on Saturday at the tournament, facing Saint Francis (Ind.) at 1 p.m. and No. 5 Eastern Oregon at 7.