Sachse sophomore Sarah Naidoo, pictured in previous action, helped the Lady Mustangs to defeat Rowlett in three sets on Tuesday. Photo by Tina Lopez / C&S Media

By Mark Saldana

[email protected]

The Sachse Lady Mustangs turned a tense opening set into a dominant performance Tuesday night, sweeping District 9-6A rival Rowlett 3-0 (28-26, 25-10, 25-12) in a key District 9-6A matchup.

Sachse (16-16, 9-3) opened with energy but faced a spirited challenge from the Lady Eagles. The first set featured 14 ties and several lead changes as both teams traded momentum. Senior outside hitter Khloe Ellis delivered three clutch kills midway through to push the Mustangs ahead 13-10, but Rowlett clawed back to a 17-14 advantage, forcing a Sachse timeout.

The Lady Mustangs responded behind kills from Raniya Temple and Jayla Butler, and a powerful swing from Fallin Whitmore which tied the game at 19. The set stayed knotted through 26-26 before Sachse closed on back-to-back points to take a dramatic 28-26 win.

“That first set definitely tested our composure,” said Rikki Jones, Sachse head coach. “Rowlett came out fighting, and we had to settle in, trust our defense and stay aggressive at the net. Once we got that first one, our energy really took off from there.”

The second set was all Lady Mustangs.

Behind aggressive serving and stout back-row play from Kennedy Colwell, Sachse stormed to a 6-0 lead and stretched it to 16-6 as Rowlett struggled to find rhythm. Temple and Butler powered kills on the outside, while Ellis kept pressure with smart swings. The Mustangs closed out the set 25-10, fueled by long service runs and disciplined defense.

“Our serving and ball control in the second set really flipped the match,” Jones added. “What we’ve been working on in practice lately really showed tonight. When we’re clean in serve-receive and disciplined, it opens up our whole offense and lets us play at our tempo.”

Sachse kept the momentum going in the third set. Temple sparked an early 7-3 edge with a booming kill, Butler added another to push the lead to double digits at 13-3, and the Mustangs’ front line swarmed Rowlett attacks. Up 22-10, Sachse never looked back, sealing the sweep 25-12.

Temple led the Lady Mustangs with 14 kills, 30 aces and three digs, while Butler added seven kills, 16 aces and six digs. Ellis chipped in six kills, 16 aces and six digs, and Ella Smith had five kills and 23 aces. Colwell anchored the defense with 14 digs and three aces.

Jones praised her team’s all-around execution.

“Our defense was very disciplined, it kept us alive and let our hitters finish points,” she said. “I’m proud of how balanced we were tonight. I think everyone contributed as a team.”