Mount Vernon volleyball, ranked No. 2 in Class 3A, went 7-0 last week, but it had to earn it.
They went five sets to down No. 12 (3A) West Delaware on Sept. 12 by the score of 19-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-20, 17-15.
Then they swept Williamsburg in a cross-division WaMaC tilt, 25-13, 25-9, 25-19, on Thursday.
The Mustangs put some miles on the school bus to attend and win the Red Oak Tournament on Saturday.
Mount Vernon beat Clarinda 21-14, 20-22, 15-6, Council Bluffs Lincoln 17-21, 21-16, 15-10, and Lenox 21-13, 21-14 and Creston 21-8, 21-11 in pool play. In the semifinals, the Mustangs rallied to top No. 12 (1A) St. Albert 21-25, 25-21, 15-6, before again beating Abe Lincoln in the championship, 21-25, 25-21, 15-6.
Coach Maggie Willems was proud of the way her team fought back all week, especially after digging a big hole against the Hawks.
“I don’t know if we can name why we were unable to execute in set one and set two,” Willems said. “We found our way back and started to play our level of volleyball.
“We didn’t give up. That’s the easy out when you go down 0-2.”
Chloe Meester led the offense with 26 kills, hitting at a.283 efficiency, and also had a team-high 19 digs. Paige Schurbon added 13 kills and Brooke Ellyson had 11 kills. Sydney Huber had 48 assists and Eryn Jackson and Jaden Rolland each had 15 digs.
“You’ve got to be ready to play in uncomfortable situations,” Willems said. “Those are valuable learning experiences.”
Willems said the coaches took a look at their entire pre-match routine after Tuesday, and it seemed to pay off two days later.
The Mustangs had a kill efficiency of .359 as a team, led by Chloe Meester with 17 kills and a .609 efficiency. Ellyson had 11 kills and Schurbon added 10. Huber had 38 assists and Rolland led the defense with 16 digs.
Mount Vernon had 14 ace serves in the sweep of the Raiders.
“Nice to see us come out ready to execute right away,” Willems said. “Our kids changed what they do in the locker room pre-match. More clarity on mental preparation.”
Then it was the long trip to Red Oak, an almost four-hour drive.
“Whatever tournament you go to in Eastern Iowa, you end up with teams you’ve seen,” Willems said. “Red Oak, there’s no one we will see again, except at state.”
The Mustangs scuffled a little bit on the other side of the state, needing three sets to beat Clarinda, Council Bluffs Abe Lincoln and St. Albert, but got the job done.
“This team is relatively comfortable going into those deciding sets,” Willems said. “Probably more comfortable than I am. It doesn’t phase them. It was good to see how we responded.”
This week Mount Vernon played at No. 9 (3A) CPU on Tuesday, and next has a loaded field at the Liberty Invitational on Saturday. The field includes Dike-New Hartford, the No. 1 team in 2A and maybe the best team of any class, plus No. 10 (5A) Iowa City Liberty and No. 7 (5A) Pleasant Valley and Iowa City West.
“I hate it, and I like it,” Willems said of the high-level competition. “It is stressful, but that’s the point. Every match is a challenge.”
Mount Vernon’s Sydney Huber (No. 15) sets the ball up for a teammate to spike over the net in play at home last week.