After an exhaustive and competitive 5-set duel, The Master's University women's volleyball team fell short to No. 6 Midland (NB) University 20-25, 20-25, 25-18, 25-12, 7-15Â in their Saturday morning match in Omaha, Neb.
The Mustangs' third match of the College of Saint Mary Labor Day Classic had a number of lead changes and momentum switches, where no lead was safe until the very end.
"We are right on the cusp of being great," said TMU Head Coach Annett Davis. "We have all the tools to be one of the top teams in the NAIA, we just need to get over the final hurdle, finishing the win."
In the first set, The Master's fell behind as Midland took an 8-3 lead. They rallied back and tied the set 12-12, before both teams went back and forth. Midland would take a 19-16 lead and fended off a late push to take the set 25-20.
The Mustangs would switch the momentum and take an early 3-0 lead, before both teams went back and forth yet again. Midland would fight to take their first lead, eventually growing it to a 19-13 lead. Similar to the first set, Midland would protect their lead from a late Mustang push to take the set 25-20.
Despite going down two sets in the match, The Master's showed no signs of giving up while Midland looked to end the match quickly. An intense back and forth opened the third set before Midland took a 10-5 lead. The Master's would respond quickly, taking a 14-12 lead and fending off a late push from Midland, winning the set 25-18.
The Master's took advantage of the momentum switch and showed no signs of stopping, taking an early 8-0 lead in the fourth set. Midland would attempt a mid-set push, cutting the lead down to six. But The Master's would take the fourth set in a dominating 25-12 win.
The fifth and final set would decide the match. Midland would take a commanding 11-3 lead, holding off a late push from the Mustangs and ending the match with a 15-7 fifth set win.
Junior Grace Colburn led the team with a career-high 23 kills, which was the most out of any player in the match.
"Grace has been a great asset to our team," Davis said of the transfer from UC Irvine. "Being able to attack in the front and back row has helped spread our offense out. Looking forward to more."
Senior Timberlie Miller led the team with 40 assists, while sophomore Sierra Hale had 20 digs. Their efforts would allow The Master's to extend the match through five sets.
The Master's will play their fourth and final match of the College of Saint Mary Labor Day Classic against Northwest (WA) University on Saturday at 1 p.m. PT.
