MANKATO — A balanced Mankato West volleyball team showed its grit in Sets 1 and 2 before rolling to a one-sided victory in Game 3, sweeping a Big Nine Conference match from Rochester Mayo on Tuesday night at the West gym.
Scores were 26-24, 29-27, 25-10.
West (6-2, 4-0 in Big Nine) trailed 24-22 when the Spartans’ Lily Holtan blasted a cross-court kill. However, sophomore outside hitter Maleah Grunst won a battle at the net before a pair of Mayo miscues set up sophomore setter Courtney O’Connor’s game-winning ace serve. O’Connor ended up with 27 assists and three ace serves.
In Game 2, Mayo failed to convert on two chances to win as senior right-side hitter Aubrey Doyscher came up with back-to-back ace blocks.
Senior outside hitter Ella Olson then rolled a spike down a double block before O’Connor and senior middle hitter Addi Kuiper teamed up to reject a Mayo spike. Doyscher finished with six kills and four blocks for the Scarlets, who also received 13 kills and 11 digs from Olson.
“We’ve proven that we have another level to reach in close games,” West coach Stacy Jackson said. “It was certainly gut-wrenching, but it was also fun to watch. We’re getting better at mixing the ball up and figuring where the ball needs to go. Everybody is stepping up for us and things are working out pretty well for us. … I feel we’re getting more physical fit every time we play.”
Grunst tallied five service points in the early stages of the final set as the Spartans were guilty of a handful of mistakes. Olson then banged a trio of kills before Grunst’s two spikes produced a 17-6 lead.
O’Connor continued to spread the ball around as Kuiper recorded two kills and a pair of blocks. Senior libero Valencia Carrera came up with 18 digs.
“We started out really high off the first two sets and kind of ran with it,” Olson said. “I thought we did really well with our serve receive tonight. Mayo is very tough serving and we stuck with it and didn’t allow them many big runs. Courtney has been really good with our tight balls and finding spots to put them.”
Grunst ripped 11 kills for the Scarlets while Holtan fired 14 kills for Mayo.
“We passed very well which allowed me to have more options,” O’Connor said. “Our hitters did a really good job of putting the ball down and were extra scrappy in not letting the ball hit the ground.
“We knew we could fight back in those first two games. We were aggressive and got to the end. You have to be able to move the ball around so you can throw off the blockers on the other side so they don’t have it as easy.”
West plays Thursday at Faribault.