Mustangs make strides but can't hold back UC Santa Cruz

The Mustangs knew going into their match against the University of California Santa Cruz that they were in for a close competition.

"We scouted this team before. We knew we were very equally matched with them," said TMU head coach Allan Vince. "Overall, their style of play, where they focus their attack on, is very similar to us."

However, those similarities were not enough to help TMU overcome UC Santa Cruz, as the Mustangs lost 3-1 in the MacArthur Center. Set scores were 25-21, 22-25, 25-22, and 25-22.

"They had a little more polish than us," Vince said.

The two programs certainly were equal in many ways, with both teams securing 44 kills and producing nearly identical hitting percentages. TMU hit .164 and UC Santa Cruz hit .157. So what made the difference?

"It takes serving, and serving consistently," Vince said. 

In the first set alone, the Mustangs had twice the number of service errors that the Banana Slugs did, surrendering six points to the errors alone.

They would go on to surrender 15 more throughout the match. 

"We have skilled players," Vince said. "We just don't have the consistency."

Despite the hard-fought loss, Vince was pleased with the attitude that the Mustangs were able to maintain throughout the contest.

"I mainly wanted these guys to be self-motivated for team success," he said. "It's a result of attitude. When guys are able to take expectation off themselves, it frees them up to play the game because they love it and use their skills and abilities in a way that transcends the mental blocks that stress and fear provide."

Freshman Brandon Botdorf led the Mustangs in kills with 13 throughout the match, just one shy of his career high.

Other notable players from Saturday's match included sophomore Wyatt Bates, who led TMU with three aces while also securing eight kills, and freshman Ezra Moore, who led in both assists and digs with 21 and eight respectively.
"We have skills, it's just, 'Can we sustain that level of attitude?'" Vince said.

The Mustangs now look to bounce back from their third-straight loss on Friday when they face the University of Jamestown, which is also a first-year program. 

"They've got some depth, some talent, and a real strong coach," Vince said. "But they're going to be in a new place, and in a new crowd. So we're going to have some advantages."