Looking to enter the win column for the first time in 2017 on day two of the Summer Slam volleyball tournament, the Mustangs squared off against #11 ranked Eastern Oregon.
The Mountaineers offense proved to be strong, and after an injury forced head coach Allan Vince to improvise his lineup, the Mustangs found themselves at the wrong end of the match, losing in straight sets 25-12, 25-19, 25-20.
After a shaky first set, the Mustangs looked sharp off the bat in set two, until senior middle blocker Morgan Koch (Auburn, CA) was forced to leave the match, sinking the hearts of the team. As Koch was helped off the court, coach Vince knew that the rest of the match would be an uphill battle.
"It was a definite blow to our team, losing [Koch] mid-match; not only from an offensive standpoint, but she adds a wealth of experience and leadership while on the court," coach Vince said after the loss. "We knew coming into the match against Eastern that they were going to be a solid team that would pick good attack lines and defend well. They used their experience coupled with good decision making to control the outcome of the match."
Despite the loss of Koch, TMU battled fiercely, staying together through the adversity and keeping the match within reach. Sophomore Regan Tate (West Covina, CA) led the Mustangs attack with 9 kills, while Koch and freshman Madison Fay (Santa Clarita, CA) added 6 each. Junior setter Kayla Sims (Anchorage, AK) posted 21 assists and sophomore libero McKenna Hafner (Yucaipa, CA) tallied 13 digs.
At 8 p.m. Thursday, the Mustangs will face another nationally ranked powerhouse. This time, it will be #16 Cornerstone University, as the Mustangs attempt to hand the Golden Eagles their first loss of the year.
