SOSA Staff Report
SOUTH WEBSTER — Trailing 2-1 heading into the fourth set against Notre Dame Saturday morning in the first game of the South Webster Jeep Invitational, it would’ve been easy for Westfall to throw in the towel.
The Titans, one year removed from a Division IV regional final run, had momentum on their side and the players on their roster to close the deal.
But that’s not what the Mustangs decided to do. Instead, they chose to fight through adversity.
And, in the end, it paid off in a major way.
After winning the first set 25-21 and dropping the next two by scores of 23-25 and 18-25, the Mustangs took the fourth, 25-23, and dominated the fifth, 15-5, to hand the Titans a season-opening loss and advance to the event’s championship game against host South Webster.
The Mustangs (3-1) then swept the Jeeps, who started their season with three straight wins, by scores of 25-21, 25-22 and 31-29, to win a title.
Kristin Phillips led the Mustangs with 27 kills and four digs while Josie Williams tallied 16 kills, eight digs, and 24 assists. Claire Latham finished with seven kills, 17 digs, and 27 assists, Kayla Fleischmann had 28 digs, Marissa Mullins posted 12 kills, and Hailey Young ended with 15 kills and 11 digs.
“Today was exactly what we needed going into Tuesday when we play Southeastern,” Westfall coach Jessica Rodgers-Sullivan said. “I thought the girls did an excellent job fighting back against an extremely tough Notre Dame team. They took that momentum into the game against very scrappy South Webster team.”
As Rodgers-Sullivan mentioned, the Mustangs will be back in action Tuesday evening, beginning Scioto Valley Conference play while hosting Southeastern. They’ll then travel to Paint Valley on Thursday evening.