Natalia’s Lady Mustangs are off to a bumpy start after their first three games. Facing Three Rivers, George West, and McMullen, the team went 1-2 against the tough teams. Led by Coach Tamara Bednorz, the Lady Mustangs “definitely had some nerves to work through and some team chemistry to figure out, but those are all things that will come with time. We need to polish up our passing game and continue to be aggressive offensively at the net.”
Facing Three Rivers and George West on August 11th, Lady Mustangs quickly put away Three Rivers 28-18, 25-19, and 25-19, but fell to George West in five sets. They lost the first one 19-25 and came back to win the second 25-18. The third set was a fight between the schools with George West coming out on top at 21-25. The fourth set quickly went to Natalia at 25-18 but they could not keep up the pace in the fifth set and lost 8-15.
Three Rivers stats: Kills Trista Vera 1, Angelica Padilla 5. Assists: Bailey Boucher 6, Trista Boucher 1, Isabella Martinez 4. Aces: Tina Fulton 2. Digs: Padilla 4, B. Boucher 1, Kody Blanquiz 3. George West stats: Aces: B. Boucher 4, T. Boucher 3, Blanquiz 1. Kills: Vera 4, T. Boucher 4. Assists: B. Boucher 12, Heidi Vasquez 4. Digs: Fulton 7, Padilla 2. Blocks: Vera 2.
McMullen County was a much tougher fight for the Lady Mustangs but they held on through four sets, keeping pace with the Cowgirls. At 22-25, 25-20, 20-25, 23-25, Natalia proved, despite the loss, they are a much stronger team this year and are ready to challenge for district.
Aces: T. Boucher 6. Kills: Padilla 17, Vera 9. Assists: T. Boucher 29. Digs: Blanquiz 16, Fulton 14.
The Lady Mustangs will face Devine and Marion on August 21st and Falls City on August 25th.
By Dicy Chambers
Sports Writer