SANTA CLARITA — Westmont Volleyball (20-10, 14-4 GSAC) had no answer for The Master’s (9-19, 5-13) on Saturday night, as the Mustangs downed the Warriors in four sets.
After splitting the first two games, The Master’s defeated Westmont in convincing fashion in sets three and four, taking both games by a score of 25-17.
“Our minds were elsewhere,” stated Westmont head coach Ruth McGolpin. “The bottom line is we were not physically, mentally or emotionally there tonight. I’m not sure what else was preoccupying their focus, but it was clear that the focus needed to compete in this match was not present.”
In set one, The Master’s led at one point by a score of 20-15, but a kill from Patty Kerman sparked a rally that led the Warriors to a 25-24 lead. With a chance to come away with a thrilling come-from-behind win, Westmont conceded three consecutive kills to drop the set 27-25.
In the second set, Westmont initially trailed 9-6 before Sara Krueger recorded a kill that began a 9-2 run for the Warriors, who then claimed a 15-11 advantage. Later on, another kill from Kerman solidified the Warriors grasp on game two as they tied the match up with a 25-19 win.
Then, The Master’s played their best volleyball in recent memory while the Warriors did the exact opposite.
In the third set, the Mustangs led 10-8 going into the middle of the set. Then, a three-point run gave the home team a 13-8 advantage. Westmont clawed to stay within striking distance, pulling within three at 15-12, but a five-point swing gave the Mustangs a 20-13 lead, extinguishing any thought of a Westmont comeback.
Then, in the fourth and final set of the night, The Master’s scored the first three points of the set, and the Warriors never so much as tied things up. Going into Westmont’s final timeout, the Warriors trailed 16-8. Out of the timeout, a game-saving run never came, and The Master’s won 25-17 to claim just their fifth GSAC win in 18 matches.
“We just shot ourselves in the foot,” said McGolpin. “We didn’t play with much heart and The Master’s had one of their best games all season. It was not a recipe for us to have success.”
For Westmont, the club will now turn the page to Monday, when they will find out where they’ll be headed for the NAIA Opening Round. After finishing second in the conference during the regular season, Westmont received an automatic bid into the tournament.
“We live to see another day,” said McGolpin. “It’s do or die at this point now. One game to either win and go to Iowa or lose and our season is finished. Given those stakes, it should be easy to be motivated as we get ready this week.
Jacob Norling is the Westmont sports information assistant.
email: dmason@newspress.com
