PCM can’t overcome slow start in season-ending loss

EDDYVILLE — Once Prairie City-Monroe’s volleyball team settled in, the Mustangs put up a solid fight against Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont on Wednesday night.

Unfortunately, a slow start in the opening set and an off night against the Rockets’ serve receive was too much to overcome.

Host EBF ended PCM’s season with a 25-9, 25-17, 25-18 win during Class 3A Region 3 quarterfinal action. The Mustangs’ season ends at 5-25.

“As much as you can prepare them for what to expect, you still have to go out there and see what they are going to give you,” PCM coach Alex Samson said. “This team usually needs to see it for a game and then they can get going. We were a little nervous and just weren’t very good with our serve receive tonight.”

Samson finished up her second season coaching her alma mater. It was a tough week for the former Mustang.

Samson was hit by a ball during warmups of PCM’s match with South Hamilton on Oct. 11. She suffered a concussion and did not go with the team to its tournament at Fairfield this past weekend and felt ill at work and practice Monday.

She worked a half day on Wednesday but wore ear plugs the entire night when her team faced the Rockets in the postseason opener.

The Mustangs tried to advance to the semifinals but fell behind early in the first set. After a kill by sophomore Celeste Wagaman got PCM within 6-3, the Rockets rolled off four straight to go up seven.

PCM continued to stay close until EBF (11-21) used a 7-0 run to push its lead to 20-8. The Rockets scored five of the next six points to close out the set and grab an early lead at home.

The final two sets were much more competitive.

Wagaman opened the second set with a kill and then tied the game at 2-all with a second blast at the net. She put the Mustangs on top 11-10 with another kill and then her fourth kill of the set tied it at 12-all.

Wagaman was moved to middle hitter at last weekend’s tournament at Fairfield. She stayed there Wednesday and led the Mustangs with 11 kills. No other player had more than two.

“We mixed up the lineup. I like her in the middle. She gets stronger hits and she gets more touches,” Samson said.

PCM stayed close, tying the set at 14, 15 and 17. But the Rockets scored the final eight points to win the set and go up 2-0 in the match. The 8-0 run by EBF included three aces by Ali Fagen.

“We were not anticipating the deep serves. Those caught us off guard for some reason,” Samson said.

PCM was just as competitive in the final set, but it ended the same way.

Wagaman gave the Mustangs a 3-2 advantage with a block and a kill early in the frame. EBF used a 4-0 run to turn the momentum, but aces by senior Allison Wood and sophomore Bella Stone kept the Mustangs close.

Sophomore Emma Houser’s only two kills of the night came in a big spot. It tied the set at 12 and 13 and then an ace by senior Avery Stock put PCM up on top 14-13. The Mustangs also led 16-14 and another Wagaman kill kept PCM ahead by one.

EBF was once again better during the final stages of the set. With the match tied at 18-all, the Rockets scored the final seven points to close out the win.

Samson took two timeouts during the 7-0 run, but PCM was unable to stop the Rockets’ momentum.

“There is one rotation where we got stuck both games,” Samson said. “But our serve receive wasn’t good enough tonight. It was the biggest issue we had. We tried to make small adjustments, but it just wasn’t working.”

One positive heading into next season for the Mustangs is they only lose two seniors in Stock and Wood. And there’s only three juniors on the varsity roster.

“We are so young. Most of our team is made up of freshmen and sophomores. I am excited about the future,” Samson said. “Overall, you want to play your best volleyball at the end of the season, and I think we were doing that. We played pretty well on Saturday.”

The seniors will be missed, too.

“I couldn’t have asked for anything else out of my seniors. They gave it all they had,” Samson said. “Great girls. Two great players and great leaders. They taught the younger players how to shake off bad plays and stay positive. I am really going to miss them.”

Stock led the Mustang defense with six digs and she was 10-of-11 in serves with one ace. Stone had four digs.

Junior Shelby Voeller had 12 assists. Wood was 6-for-6 in serves with an ace and Houser had one ace.