The Cowboys Can't Tame The Mustangs

The Lady Cowboys volleyball team had a slower week last week with only one match on the schedule.  That match was a home game against the Leadore Mustangs.  Each team sits in the middle of the pack among their Rocky Mountain Conference opponents.  A win for either team would help send them in an upward trajectory in the very large eleven team conference.  Leadore came into the match as the slight favorite and they would hold that position throughout the competition.  In the first set North Gem got behind early, getting down by the score of 5-12.  North Gem then dug in their heels and made a valiant effort to get back into the game cutting the score to 11-14.  From there the teams would each go on small runs as the Mustang lead would fluctuate between three to six points.  Towards the end of the set the Cowboys once again dug down deep to try to get back in the game and got to within one point at 22-23.  Following a Mustang timeout Ledore finished off the set winning 22-25.  The second set would start off much the way the first ended with the game staying close but North Gem unable to overcome a small Mustang lead.  During this stretch Eliza Ball was a bright spot for the Cowboys with several great kills and blocks.  Some good early passing in the second set would go awry around the midway point.  The Mustangs began to find holes on the Cowboys side of the net where they were able to get the ball down into.  The Mustangs were able to put up three or four points for every one of the Cowboys and took the set two win with a score of 14-25.  Some frustration combined with some mental errors would ultimately be the downfall of the Cowboys in this conference match.  The third set never really was close with Leadore in full control throughout.  The Mustangs scored the six final points of the set taking the win with a score of 9-25.  The Cowboys looked good early on in this match but some panic and fundamental breakdowns doomed them in the end.  They have the talent to match the Mustangs on the court and got their chance to prove so when they traveled to Leadore on Tuesday for a rematch.  Check next week's edition to see how the Cowboys fared in that game.