by Olin Meinders

The Mustang varsity volleyball team trotted to New Sharon on Saturday, September 16, following an energetic couple of days for PCM Athletics. The Mustangs beat Saydel in volleyball at home on Sept. 14, and the next day the football team obliterated Centerville 74-14. PCM fought hard Saturday, winning their first two games, but after losing their last two games they ultimately ended up placing third.

PCM looked very strong in the first two matches of the day. The Mustangs first took down the tournament’s host, the Warhawks of North Mahaska, in two sets. The Mustangs won 21-9 in the first set, and then won 21-15 in the second. Junior Maddie Samson had nine kills and went ten for ten in serving. Next the Mustangs took on Tri-County and defeated them in two sets as well. PCM won the first set 21-10 and then finished the match by defeating Tri-County 21-12 in the second set. Samson had seven kills and junior Avery Stock went twelve for thirteen in serves. The morning games went very well, but as the day went on things took a different route.

“Based on how we played in the morning, we were expecting to finish better,” senior Madison Foster said. The Mustangs were looking strong going into their next match against WACO, but they couldn’t keep the ball rolling. The Mustangs lost to the Warriors in three sets. WACO took the first set of the match 21-17, but PCM pushed back and won the second set 22-20. The Warriors then beat the Mustangs in the final set 15-9 to hand them a loss. In the three sets Samson had eight kills, Stock went twelve for twelve on serves. Foster went ten for ten on serves and had eleven assists.

The final opponent of the day for PCM was Lynnville-Sully. The Eagles beat the Mustangs in two sets, winning the first 25-15 and then winning the second 25-17. The loss placed PCM in third place in the tournament. Samson again had eight blocks and freshman Jacki Vos had two blocks. The Mustangs will go on the road for their next match, playing Gilbert on Monday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m.