Sachse senior Ella Smith, pictured in previous action, and the Lady Mustangs came up just short in a five-set loss to Richardson on Tuesday. Photo by David Wolman / C&S Media
By Devin Hasson
RICHARDSON—Sachse and Richardson are no strangers to the playoffs.
The Eagles are currently in the midst of a 10-year streak of postseason appearances, and have qualified in 16 of the last 18 attempts.
The Mustangs have been even more consistent, having never missed the playoffs since their inaugural campaign in 2004.
On Tuesday, the two teams engaged in a back-and-forth battle that felt like a postseason match-up.
Both had their chances to walk away from the night with a victory, but in the end, it was Richardson that was able to rally late for a 25-17, 22-25, 19-25, 25-20, 17-15 victory at Richardson High School.
The teams traded blows all night, and the fifth set was no different.
Riding the momentum of having won Game 4, the Eagles took an early lead in the decisive set only to have the Mustangs come right back, using an ace from Sarah Naidoo to take a 4-2 lead.
Sachse maintained the advantage for much of the game, getting three kills from Fallin Whitmore, and additional points from Natalie Rainey and Khloe Ellis to take a 12-9 lead.
The Mustangs were poised to claim a road victory in a loud environment after a nice play by Naidoo made it 14-11.
But Richardson refused to go away.
Taking advantage of a couple of Sachse mistakes, and getting a tip from Mackenzie Ratcliff, the Eagles fended off three match points to knot it at 14-14.
The Mustangs had another chance to close it out after a kill by Ellis, but Richardson had the final answer, getting a pair of kills from Leighton Felder, including one on match point, to earn a 17-15 victory in the fifth, and secure the victory.
Richardson’s closing surge mirrored the start of the match, where behind a five-point service from Aubrey Tennell, highlighted by two aces, it raced to a 6-0 lead.
Sachse continued to battle for the remainder of the set, but never quite get over the early hump.
A kill from Whitmore capped a 7-3 run that got them back to within two, but the Eagles were able to keep them at arm’s length.
The Mustangs cut the deficit to a single point on three occasions in the middle stages of the set, but a pair of kills by Ratcliff helped Richardson keep its cushion.
Later in the game, the Eagles spread the wealth, getting kills from Ratcliff, Rebecca Schmidt and Tennell, and then an ace from Marlo Bunch to close out a 25-19 win.
In the second set, it was Sachse that came out strong, getting kills from Ellis, Rainey and Jayla Butler to take the early advantage.
Though it remained tight, the Mustangs never trailed, getting a late kill from Whitmore and an ace from Kate Guinn to even the match at a set apiece with the 25-22 victory.
The teams traded points through much of Game 3, with Sachse able to maintain a slight edge on the scoreboard.
Richardson briefly took a 16-15 lead on a kill from Ratcliff, but the Mustangs answered with a six-point run, getting a nice service run from Jacey Gibbs to take a 21-16 advantage.
Ellis then closed it out, delivering a pair of kills and an ace to finish off a 25-19 win to put them one game away from the victory.
The Eagles were determined to not let that happen.
Behind strong early play from Ratcliff and Felder, Richardson raced to a 16-6 lead.
Sachse made a push, getting as close as 22-20 after a kill from Whitmore, but the Eagles were able to close out the set and ultimately win the match.
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