After playing for The Master's University's indoor women's volleyball team in the fall, freshman
Chloe Johnson decided she needed a break this spring. And who could blame her.
"I wanted my weekends back," she said.
But, Johnson visited a Mustang beach volleyball practice two weeks into the semester to maintain her skills, and after an hour or so, she was hooked.
"When I came out, I really enjoyed playing with the girls on the team," she said. "I loved being coached by coach Davis, and I really liked the game of beach volleyball."
Johnson joined the team, and the benefits showed up Thursday in the Mustangs' first-ever match. Johnson and partner
Hannah Douglas won their matchup, and TMU overwhelmed host Marymount California with its depth, winning the No. 3, 4 and 5 matchups on the way to a 3-2 victory at Redondo Beach.
In the aftermath of making school history, does Johnson regret her decision?
"Not at all," she said. "I'm so glad that I made the decision to play. I'm really excited for this season."
There was plenty of excitement to go around Thursday as Master's set out on a new venture. Well, not completely new. The Mustangs played Westcliff University in a scrimmage last week, and the team drew considerable confidence from the experience.
The impact was that Thursday didn't feel completely foreign.
Master's took two out of the day's first three matchups, setting the stage for an exciting finish when the No. 2 and No. 4 teams rotated onto the court.
Rebecca Swenning and
Kasie Spencer, TMU's No. 4 team, won their first set and reached match point in the second.
That's when Spencer flicked her wrist and sent the ball spinning to the back corner of Marymount's side. Spencer's attack assured the Mustangs of a victory on a day that head coach
Annett Davis called "a great test."
"I think the girls realized that no matter what position they are in, they can contribute," Davis said. "Our threes, fours and fives showed up big time. It affirmed our depth."
Johnson and Douglas, TMU's No. 5, also won in straight sets, with Douglas securing the final point on a rocket serve that grazed the net and dropped to the sand untouched.
"Hannah is a really steady person," Johnson said. "So I can always look to her to be consistent throughout the game whether I'm up or down. She's loud and she pushes me to make plays. I think we push each other. "
The road wasn't as easy for
Kylie Brown and
Ketty Totemeier, TMU's No. 3 squad. The pair lost their first set, but they refused to fold.
Brown and Totemeier made fewer errors in the second set, and by the third, they felt they had taken control of the match. The scoreboard agreed.
"Even if they got a run on us, we knew we could side out and we could win," Brown said. "Even when they tied the score near the end of the second set, it was just that reminder of 'We can do this.'"
Mustangs will next play Cypress College and Concordia University Irvine in a double-header on Feb. 21 at OC Great Park in Irvine.
Results
No. 1
Katie Emmerling and
Desi Elizondo lost 2-0.
No. 2
Emilye Grace Williams and
Caihannah-Jane Catabona lost 2-1.
No. 3
Kylie Brown and
Ketty Totemeier won 2-1.
No. 4 Rebecca Davis and
Kasie Spencer won 2-0.
No. 5
Chloe Johnson and
Hannah Douglas won 2-0.
