Stanton goes undefeated at Wakefield Tournament

The Stanton Mustangs were true to form last week, going 5-0 at the Wakefield Tournament.

Stanton defeated Lyons Decatur Northeast 2-1 and Hartington Cedar Catholic 2-0 on Thursday before downing Pierce 2-1 and 2-0 on Saturday, in addition to Wakefield 2-0, also on Saturday.

The Mustangs downed Hartington Cedar Catholic 25-22 in set one and 25-14 in set two.

Jessie Brandl had 11 kills while Hilary Huss totaled 10 kills, 11 digs, and 17 set assists. Mackenzie Brandl notched 18 digs while Bree Burtwhistle chipped in 13 digs and 14 set assists.

Stanton lost set one to the Cougars 25-19, but roared back to win set two 28-26 and set three 25-17.

Huss had a stat line of 11 kills, 12 digs, and 14 set assists while Burtwhistle, Chantelle Christensen, and Jessie Brandl recorded 8 kills apiece. Mackenzie Brandl posted 34 digs while Jessie Brandl, Alex Oestreich, and Burtwhistle chipped in 18, 13, and 11, respectively. Burtwhistle added 16 set assists.

In the first match against Pierce, the Mustangs downed the Bluejays 25-23 in set one and 25-18 in set two.

Mackenzie Brandl notched 17 digs while Huss and Jessie Brandl totaled 13 and 7, respectively. Burtwhistle dished out 7 set assists.

Stanton beat Wakefield 25-17 in the first set and 25-20 in the second set.

Mackenzie Brandl registered 20 digs while Huss and Burtwhiste recorded 18 and 10, respectively. Burtwhistle recorded 8 set assists.

In the second match against the Bluejays, the Mustangs won set one 25-22, lost set two 25-21, but bounced back to win set three 25-21.

Burtwhistle had 10 kills and 7 assists while Jessie Brandl totaled 9 kills. Mackenzie Brandl chipped in 28 digs while Huss added 12 digs and 11 set assists. Oestreich notched 8 digs.

Stanton played outstanding volleyball last week. The Mustangs were challenged by Pierce and Lyons-Decatur Northeast, but came through when it counted, which is what you always want to do.

Stanton (9-1) hosts Boone Central Newman Grove (3-3) and Norfolk Catholic (3-4) in a Triangular on Thursday.

The Cardinals lost 3-1 at Crofton on Tuesday while the Knights defeated Hartington Cedar Catholic 3-1 at home on Tuesday.

Norfolk Catholic has lost to some good teams, and could challenge the Mustangs. I don't see Stanton having much trouble with Boone Central/Newman Grove.

The Mustangs have to come out and play with the same fire, passion, intensity, heart, desire, toughness, and grit they have all season.

Stanton must give maximum effort in both matches, and do everything in their power to get the job done.

The Mustangs have to serve, pass, hit, serve receive, dig, and block well. It's important for Stanton to perform well in all facets of the game. The Mustangs can't afford to struggle in any areas.

The Mustangs have to play with confidence in both matches. There's no doubt Stanton is better than both teams on paper, but there's a reason the matches are played.

The Mustangs have to understand that anything can happen on any given night, and if they aren't ready to play, things could turn out bad for them.

I think Stanton will be ready to play though. I truly believe the Mustangs will find a way to get the job done in both matches.

Stanton needs to defend their home court and keep the ball rolling with the Stanton Invitational this weekend. This is a big week for the Mustangs in terms of being impressive on their home court.