The Master's University men's volleyball team's new coach arrived less than two weeks ago. So it's safe to say the Mustangs are still figuring a few things out.
At the top of the list two games into the 2021 season: how to finish close sets against talented opponents.
The Mustangs had NAIA No. 5-ranked Vanguard University on the ropes in Monday's second set before the Lions stormed back to win the set and ultimately the match, 3-0.
Set scores in Costa Mesa, Calif., were 25-16, 25-23 and 25-17.
"We fought really well for stretches of time, but we weren't able to put together a complete set," said head coach Jared Goldberg, who came to TMU on Feb. 5 after spending the previous four years at Harvard University as a men's and women's assistant coach. "… I thought we battled really hard to get to that point in set two where we're playing in a tight end-game, but then we just need to learn how to finish a little bit better."
TMU led 21-19 and 22-20 in the night's second set, but Vanguard reeled off three straight points to pull ahead. TMU's Ben Herb recorded a kill to briefly pull the Mustangs even, but the Lions scored the final two points on a TMU service error and a kill.
It was the second straight match in which the Mustangs played competitively against a seasoned Golden State Athletic Conference foe but couldn't quite seal the match's second set. TMU beat Hope International in the first set of the Mustangs' season opener on Feb. 12. But the Royals came from behind to win the second set 25-23 by scoring the set's final three points. Hope capitalized on the momentum to win the match 3-1.
Between now and its trip to Arizona this weekend, Goldberg said TMU will work on end-game situations in practice, going six-on-six and putting tight, late-game scores on the board.
"I think the more times guys are in those situations, the more comfortable they'll be once we get there," Goldberg said.
Ben Herb led the Mustangs with seven kills Monday.Brett Norkus followed with five kills. Ezra Moore had 21 assists for TMU, and Oscar Talavera-Castanoli and Brandon Botdorf had seven digs each.
Austin McIntyre had two aces.
Goldberg felt it was beneficial for the Mustangs to see a highly ranked team this early in the season.
"Vanguard has some phenomenal athletes and some really big arms, so they put a lot of pressure on us from the service side. We knew that going in, and I was proud of our guys and how we stuck with them so close for a while," Goldberg said. "Good teams find a way to break away at the end. That's what Vanguard did and we got to see it and now we've got to try to do that ourselves a little bit better."
Ultimately, Goldberg said the Mustangs are right where he would expect them to be two games into the season.
"We're just trying to figure out who we are and establish our culture and get this program successful long-term," he said. "I would say that we're still working out some things and trying to get better, but we're right on track and this is a short season but we're working on some long-term things as well."
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