TMU Women's Volleyball Wins in Davis' Indoor Head-Coaching Debut

The Master's University women's indoor volleyball team had to wait 446 days to play a competitive match. Head coach Annett Davis only had to wait one match to register her first win.
 
In its first match of the postponed 2020 season, TMU defeated San Diego Christian 3-1 (25-20, 25-27, 25-21, 25-16) on Wednesday afternoon inside The MacArthur Center. The win gave Davis, who is in her second year as the Mustangs' women's beach volleyball head coach, a victory in her debut at the helm of the Master's women's indoor volleyball program.
 
"It's a great feeling to get a win under my belt as head coach," Davis said. "I feel like these girls are like family and it was fun to watch them perform well and win together."
 
In the first set, the two teams battled back and forth until two kills from Emilye Grace Williams sparked a 4-0 Mustangs' run, putting TMU ahead 14-8. Then up 15-11, another 4-0 run, this time that began with an Emily Scott kill, put Master's in cruise control, winning the first set by five.
 
In set two, TMU almost pulled off a miraculous comeback. Down 23-18, two Faith Tarver kills brought the Mustangs to within one. A San Diego Christian kill put Master's on the brink of losing the set, before a TMU block and a Hawk rotation error tied the set at 24-24. The visitors were able to regroup though, taking the second set, 27-25.
 
With the match tied at one set apiece, Master's was in danger of falling behind 2-1, trailing 16-11 in the third set. With the score 17-14 in favor of San Diego Christian, however, TMU had different ideas. The Mustangs began their charge, as two Kinzi Lockhart aces and three Jessi Swenning kills ignited an 8-0 Master's run. That five-point lead was more than enough cushion for TMU, who won the set by four.
 
"I believe the key was tough serving," Davis said regarding her team's third-set comeback. "We hit our spots. A well-placed serve can make all the difference to throw another team off-balance."
 
A similar run fueled the Mustangs in the fourth set. Ahead 9-8, TMU rallied off seven-consecutive points, with Williams and Scott combining for two blocks, to take a sizable 16-8 advantage. Then up 22-16, a Madi Maitland kill began a 3-0 run to win the fourth and ultimately final set by nine.
 
"Overall the team did a great job," Davis said. "They were blessed with an opportunity to play volleyball, finally. They got to knock the dust off and calm their nerves. The team seemed to gel well for their first match of the season, which is something a coach likes to see."
 
Williams led the Mustangs' offense in kills with 14, posting an impressive .394 attack %. Katie Emmerling dished out a match-high 42 assists, while also leading TMU with 16 digs. Three Mustangs joined Emmerling with double-digit digs – Lockhart (15), Tarver (12) and Karli Stults (12).
 
Davis highlighted the performance of Tarver, a freshman who made her TMU debut.
 
"Freshman Faith Tarver played like a returner in her first-career match," Davis said. "She had a solid performance with 12 kills and 12 digs, making her mark as an excellent complement to our squad. We are excited to have her as a Mustang."
 
Davis said the key for her team going forward is focusing on its side of the court.
 
"When we play to our game plan and are aggressive and precise, we can do some amazing things," Davis said.