Facing a two-set-to-one deficit at home against Hope International University, eighth-ranked TMU Men's Volleyball went to its bench to look for a spark.
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Ezra Moore and
Braden Van Groningen gave the Mustangs just that.
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The duo helped Master's rally back to win a five-set, Golden State Athletic Conference thriller by set scores of 25-16, 21-25, 21-25, 25-17, 15-9.
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"It's great to be able to come from behind and win a match," Master's Head Coach
Jared Goldberg said. "We had some great contributions tonight coming off the bench from
Braden Van Groningen and
Ezra Moore."
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After HIU scored the first three points of the match, TMU responded by scoring the next seven, cruising to a first-set victory.
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The visiting Royals battled back to win the next two sets, fueled by multiple 6-0 runs.
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"We did a great job starting off game one, but by the second set they were making a ton of plays defensively," Goldberg said.
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The Mustangs gained momentum back in the fourth set with the help of a strong service game. Van Groningen and
Johnny Buchanan each served a pair of aces, as TMU took an early 9-3 advantage. Master's managed its lead from there, before
Wyatt Bates' ace sent the match to a deciding fifth set.
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In the final stanza, Moore (16 assists) showcased great chemistry with the Mustang middles, connecting with
Brett Norkus for a pair of early kills. Van Groningen pitched in three kills of his own in the fifth set, with two
Will Avera blocks also punctuating TMU's comeback victory.
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"Overall it wasn't the cleanest night for us offensively, but we kept swinging and played hard the whole match," Goldberg said. "Big thanks to all our fans who supported the whole way through."
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Avera (10 blocks) and Bates (21 digs) set new single-match program records.
Trent Norkus led the Mustangs with 15 kills, while Van Groningen and
Brett Norkus each tallied 11.
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Master's (11-6 overall, 3-3 GSAC) returns to The MacArthur Center on Saturday at 1 p.m. to take on No. 4 Vanguard University. The Lions swept the Mustangs in Costa Mesa on Feb. 25.