Mathews took a three-set loss the last time they faced off against Badger, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Mustangs had just enough and edged out the Braves 3-2 on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Mustangs have posted against the Braves since September 22, 2021.
The match was a true back-and-forth as no team won consecutive sets, but in the end it was Mathews who won the one that mattered. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-22, 23-25, 25-22, 20-25, 15-10.
MACI DARLINGTON
| 09/11/25 vs Badger | 14 |
| 09/09/25 @ Maplewood | 10 |
| 09/08/25 vs Lordstown | 10 |
| 09/04/25 @ Grand Valley | 4 |
| 09/02/25 vs Pymatuning Valley | 2 |
Leading Mathews to victory were MACI DARLINGTON and ALLIE RAMSEY. DARLINGTON had 14 digs and two aces, while RAMSEY had 19 digs, five kills, two aces, and one block. Those 14 digs gave DARLINGTON a new career-high. Another player making a difference was JOSSLYN COLES, who had 12 digs.
They weren't the only good server: Mathews was lethal from the service line and finished the game with 16 aces. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their ace total in three consecutive matchups.
Despite the loss, Badger still got an impressive performance from Alison Price, who had 21 digs, 15 kills, and three blocks. Price is on a roll when it comes to kills, as she's now had seven or more in each of the last three games she's played. Lilly Schmidt was another key player, getting eight digs and two aces.
Mathews' win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 3-7. As for Badger, they now have a losing record of 5-6.
We've got plenty of inter-conference action coming up soon. Mathews is set to square off against their familiar foe Windham at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Meanwhile, Badger will take on rival Cardinal at 7:00 p.m. on Monday.
