Mankato East coach Kari Rodman knew this would be a tough week, with volleyball matches against Belle Plaine and Faribault. She hopes it was an eye-opener for her team.

“I think we’re realizing that we can’t be complacent,” she said. “We can’t settle for one dig or one kill. We have to get hungry.”

East lost 25-14, 25-7, 25-13 to Faribault in a Big Nine Conference match Thursday at the East gym. On Tuesday, the Cougars lost 3-0 to Belle Plaine.

The Falcons dominated the entire match, never allowing East to lead in any of the games. In the first game, Faribault jumped ahead 7-0 and 15-5 before the Cougars made a three-point run, helped by Haley Nourie’s tip.

Faribault pushed the lead to 20-8 before Lyndsy Gilbertson’s kill and an ace serve by Nourie spurred a four-point run. However, Shannon Byers, who had eight kills in the opening game, had three more as the Falcons closed out the 25-14 victory.

Faribault’s Alli Kosanda made five consecutive aces to begin the second game, and Sarah Dugan had two more as the margin stretched to 10-1. East had just two kills, one by Laura Stromberg and one by Mariah Verkinderen, and the Falcons had nine ace serves in the 25-7 victory.

Rodman said serve receive and passing has been a problem for East in the last two matches.

“Lack of communication,” she said. “Tonight, we were being timid, we weren’t aggressive. We played like we were afraid to make a mistake.”

The third game stayed close early as two kills by Verkinderen and a block by Stromberg pulled East within 9-8, but three straight kills by Byers started Faribault on a 13-3 run. The match ended with Faribault’s 18th ace serve.

Verkinderen finished with seven kills and a block. Nourie made 14 assists, and Karynn Sebesta had seven digs.

East (1-2, 0-1 in Big Nine) plays Saturday in a tournament at Minnesota State.