Mustangs hold off Raiders in five-set thriller

MONROE — It would have been easy for the Prairie City-Monroe volleyball team to cave in the fifth and final set against Collins-Maxwell/Baxter on Tuesday.

The Mustangs gave up a big lead in set four with a 2-1 lead in the match, but PCM didn’t allow the Raiders to push their momentum into the final set.

The PCM team that began the season 2-13 may have given up and allowed CMB to rally for a win. But the improving Mustangs who have won five of their last nine wouldn’t allow that to happen.

Freshman Maddie Samson had 10 kills and five aces, Kayla Jennings dished out 25 assists and Ashley Van Gorp had six kills and nine digs as the Mustangs rallied from an early deficit before holding off a late rally from CMB, winning a key Heart of Iowa Conference match 22-25, 25-12, 27-25, 22-25, 15-12.

“They are really good at refocusing and listening to what I have to say and playing as a we instead of a me,” PCM coach Krystal Ehn said of bouncing back after the loss in set four. “That’s their biggest asset right now. These girls are very coachable, and they want to learn how to get better so we can put more wins on the board.

“That is the best I have seen them play all season.”

It was a spirited effort by a short-handed Raiders squad who lost their leading hitter, sophomore Brianda Bane, to a season-ending ACL injury last weekend and then lost junior Bridget Hurley to a shoulder injury in the middle of the five-set loss to the Mustangs.

Hurley came into the match ranked second on the team in digs and third in both kills and aces.

CMB started the season 6-2 but have since lost four straight, and the injuries won’t help the Raiders (6-6 overall, 2-3 in HOIC) turn things back in the right direction.

“Our season was going so well and now we have two big injuries to arguably our two best hitters,” CMB coach Scott Ranck said. “We have to have some other girls step up. Those girls won’t have varsity experience, but they got a lot of experience tonight.

“We built a lot with our younger kids in this match.”

Neither team created much separation in the opening set until CMB scored seven in a row to open up a 21-14 lead. PCM got back within 24-22, but Bekah Pearson put the Raiders up 1-0 with a game-clinching kill.

The Mustangs (7-17, 3-4) left no doubt in the second set. It was the most lopsided game as PCM led 4-0 and then had a stretch where it scored 10 of 11 points to pull away. Back-to-back net violations by CMB made it 1-all after two sets.

“We didn’t start out well. We made way too many mistakes. We have to do something to change that,” Ranck said. “We are just missing way too many serves at key times. We are digging ourselves a hole and than have to fight to come back.”

The final three games were back-and-forth battles throughout.

CMB couldn’t hold onto an early lead in the third set. After PCM tied it at 7-all, the game was tied nine more times.

A tip by Pearson gave the Raiders a 25-24 lead, but Samson responded with a tip of her own and then an ace gave PCM set point before a CMB error gave the Mustangs a 2-1 lead in the match.

“I knew she was a tough incoming freshman,” Ehn said of Samson. “I wasn’t exactly sure if she could handle the pressure of the varsity level, but she has stepped it up and worked hard. I’m really proud of her.”

PCM appeared well on its way to a four-game win.

The Mustangs went up 6-1 thanks in part to a trio of aces by Van Gorp. The lead grew to 15-7, but a strong service run by Kathleen Baldwin got CMB within 15-13.

PCM went back up by five a few points later and led 21-16 following another ace by Van Gorp.

But that’s when CMB rallied to force a fifth set.

Payge Jurgens was the catalyst at the net for the Raiders as she had four kills during CMB’s 9-1 run that ended the set. Jordynn Wesselink’s serve also gave PCM fits.

Wesselink began her service run with CMB down 22-19. Six serves later, CMB was celebrating a game four triumph.

The fifth set featured four ties in the early going, but PCM gained an advantage when Samson blasted another kill.

A Kaylee Townsend kill gave the Mustangs a 13-10 lead and CMB bowed out with a service error and hitting error.

The final point came with a little bit of controversy.

A CMB attack shot was put down for a kill, but the side official overruled the head official’s call that a PCM blocker touched the ball before it went out of bounds.

The play came on match point and the decision to change the original call made it 15-12 in favor of the Mustangs.

“They are finally trusting their skills and finding their confidence,” Ehn said. “They have always had skills but haven’t always been confident in those skills. They are game on now. They want to do everything they can to get wins.”

Katie VandeWall tallied eight kills for PCM in the win, while Jennings completed the double-double with 10 blocks and she also was 23-of-25 in serves with five aces. Van Gorp also had five aces and Samson served up four.