Lady Mustangs outswing opponents in sweep

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NIXON — Under new head coach Tara Wyrwich, the Nixon-Smiley Lady Mustangs are finding a way to close out games.

The Lady Mustangs took down the Nordheim Pirates in three sets, (25-9, 25-17, 25-19) at home on Tuesday, as the team was able to transition better while also attacking the ball more aggressively.

“The biggest factor in this win tonight is the girls coming together as a team,” Wyrwich said of the win. “[They’re] transitioning of the net quicker and being more aggressive attacking the ball.”

Leading the way in kills were middle blockers Katy Tschoepe and Faith Pullin, who had nine each.

“[Tschoepe] played really well as well as my other middle, Faith,” Wyrwich said. “[Pullin’s] really stepped it up this year. Both of my middles have a big job.”

The head coach also gave props to her libero, Maggie Mendez, who came away with a team-leading 16 digs.

“They all have a role,” Wyrwich noted. “It takes all 12 of them, even the one that’s hurt, Autumn [Rodriguez]. They all contribute. I’m very proud of those girls because we’ve come a long way from being passive and ‘I don’t know if I want the ball’ and they’ve come out of their shells and have become really aggressive.”

After coming off a fast first set, the Lady Mustangs struggled midway through the second, allowing Nordheim to tie the game at 11 before Wyrwich called a timeout.

“As a coach, I see them make mistakes here and there and they do start shutting down, and not shutting down like giving up, but getting frustrated like they want to do so good,” she explained, “so I think deep down inside they become so hard on themselves that they have a hard time lifting themselves up. I call a timeout and say ‘hey, you’re all right. When you get back out there I want you to smile, go out there and have fun. And that is what it’s all about. Get out there and play your game and you’ve got this set.’ And they did just that.”

The Lady Mustangs would win the set by eight points.

They showed their aggression up front again in the third set as the team totaled 34 kills on 69 attacks in the entire game.

“That last game, it’s just part of getting it to be a tradition to finish,” Wyrwich explained, “being aggressive and finishing the game and not making it a fourth or fifth game match when they can finish it in three.”

The Lady Mustangs were scheduled to play in a Cuero Tournament, though inclement weather may have caused delays or cancelations. Their next scheduled game is on Tuesday, Aug. 29 at Charlotte, with varsity set to play at 6:30 p.m.

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