Hornets Coach On Loss to Mustangs: 'We Came Out Scared'

The Mustangs (3-1, 1-0) got off to a fast start in game one, taking a quick 10-2 lead Tuesday with three early kills by David Manganiello. The Hornets (4-2, 0-1) tried to regroup after a team timeout, but unforced errors and sloppy mistakes sunk them.

“We came out scared,” Hornets coach Bilson Rasavongxay said. “It took us a long time to find our rhythm.” 

Mustangs coach Tony Nverly said, “We didn’t hit so well, but we were able to take advantage of their hitting errors.” 

The Mustangs jumped to an early game two lead thanks to two kills from Paris McFall and three from Kevin O’Halloran. They lead by as much as five early on, but the Hornets refused to go away. 

Sophomore Robbie Mead led the charge on offense, cutting down on the Mustangs lead with six kills in game two, and almost single-handedly keeping them in the match. The Mustangs’ front line defense, which was stellar in game one, struggled and the Hornets made some strong rallies. A pair of poor shots by the Mustangs gave the Hornets a 17-16 lead at one point, prompting Nverly to call a timeout to get his team to regroup. 

O’Halloran responded with a defensive kill and then helped the offense with excellent serves, giving the Mustangs a 20-17 lead on four unanswered points. 

After a team timeout, the Hornets tied the match back up at 21 apiece. Whatever momentum the Hornets might have gained was quickly sapped by unforced errors and poor defense, sealing the win for the Mustangs. 

“We have a lot of growing up to do as a team,” Rasavongxay said. “We lost the match purely on our mistakes and errors.” 

The Mustangs continue their road trip with a match at Sandburg on Wednesday. The Hornets will participate in the St. Charles East invite on Friday.