Girls Volleyball hosted the Rockford Rockets last night for their home opener. After losing to them a year ago on the road, the Mustangs were determined to have a different outcome this year and they did just that. The Mustangs got the sweep over the Rockets with all three teams coming out on top in front of a loud home crowd that had plenty to cheer about.
C-team started out the night with a 2-1 win (25-17, 18-25, 15-10) followed by JV winning 2-0 (25-15, 25-12). Varsity ended the night with a 3-0 win (25-17, 25-11, 25-17).
The Mustangs got out to a rough start after struggling to terminate the ball early on in the first set and quickly got down 12-13. After a timeout by Coach Rongere, the Mustangs got heir focus back and outscored the Rockets 13 to 4 to closeout the first set 25-17. The Mustangs dominated the second set, hitting .318 as a team, to win 25-11. The decision was made to run a 6-2 in the third set with Alexa Moscoso and Kenzie Henrichs leading the charge. The Mustangs kept things rolling with an easy 25-17 win to end the match and improve to 1-1 on the season.
Senior outside hitters, Emma Haarstad and Maia Marvel, led the Mustangs with a combined total of 21 kills. Freshman right side hitter, Brielle Haarstad, picked up where she left off after the Holy Family match and continued to score points with her .385 hitting percentage, while Claire Haarstad had a good night as well, adding 4 kills to the team total. Both middle hitters, Emmanuela Onyekwelu and Aubrie Herman, were also big factors at the net as they combined for 8 kills and only 2 errors. Freshman setter, Alexa Moscoso, put up 26 assists to lead the team, while senior libero, Ashley Yost, led the team in digs with 9. Defensive specialists, Katie Olson, Emerson Olk, and Halle Huffman, all showed poise in the back row and refused to let the ball hit the ground.
“At times, we looked like we were good enough to win the Skyline Conference, and other times we really struggled with consistency and decision making. We are only two matches into a long season so I’m not worried about it. These girls work hard every second they are on the court and remain focused on our team goals and making others around them better. Our coaching staff is confident that we will see a lot of improvement over the next few weeks as some of our younger players gain confidence and the leadership of our upperclassman starts to shine,” said head coach Drew Rongere.
For the full Box Score and Stats from the match, visit MN Volleyball Hub.
The Mustangs will be at Mound Westonka this Saturday for their first tournament of the season. They play Mound Westonka and Norwood Young America in pool play, followed by two playoff matches.
All three teams will be back at on their home court at the Stable on Tuesday, November 10, for a huge match against Section 5AA opponent Legacy Christian Academy. Varsity will play early and start out the day at 4:15 pm followed by JV and C-team.
GO MUSTANGS!
