In a tense game against the Herndon Hornets on Sep. 9, the Mustang boys varsity volleyball team found themselves overwhelmed, losing 3-1 after a couple of close plays in the third and fourth sets.
The Mustangs hit the ground running early in the first set, leading the game 3-10 after some strong serving and build-up play. However, the lead didn’t last for long, as the Hornets took Meridian by surprise, coming back to win it 21-25 after putting out a fresh lineup, following a short pause in the game.
Unfortunately for Meridian, the second set told the same tale as the first, with the Hornets going on to win 18-25 in a dominant fashion, besting the Mustangs once again and seemingly taking them out of the game.
With their backs against the wall, the Mustangs bounced back in the third set. The Hornets couldn’t handle the seemingly rejuvenated Meridian team, and the Mustangs made short work of them, winning the set 22-25.
“We called a timeout and the boys said they weren’t going to let that one go– we’ve only won one set this year, so that was a really big moment,” reflected Meridian head coach Shannon Hladky.
Despite a strong start to the fourth set, Meridian wasn’t able to hold on to their advantage, and as fatigue set in, the game slipped further out of reach, resulting in a final score of 23-25, with the Hornets taking home the win.
Following the loss, Coach Shannon was optimistic.“We can compete with anyone. Herndon’s a big school; it’s got 4 to 5 times as many kids as us, and we were in every set.”
