'Mustang volleyball'

After Neuqua Valley took a 5-point lead midway through the first game, Downers Grove South junior middle hitter Mo Oestermeyer said her team turned to playing "Mustang volleyball."

In the past, that's equaled winning volleyball. Apparently, some things don't change.

The Mustangs tilted the match in their favor with a surge, and continued on their way to a 25-22, 25-15 nonconference sweep of host Neuqua Valley on Monday night in Naperville.

"We started to fight and push and play Mustang volleyball, and that's how we came out and won," said Oestermeyer, who helped ignite the comeback with a solo block and kill on back-to-back plays.

So, what exactly is Mustang volleyball?

"Mustang volleyball is a long-running tradition," Oestermeyer said. "It's when you play good volleyball. We worked hard and played good volleyball."

It was Neuqua Valley (2-2) which came out playing well. The Wildcats jumped ahead 4-1 sparked by a pair of aces by Hope Baumgartner, and the home team held a 12-7 lead after a Brittany Mikottis block.

But Downers South (4-1) scored the next 5 points to start a 10-2 run that vaulted the visitors in front 17-14.

Neuqua Valley moved into a tie at 20-20 on a Baumgartner block, but Downers South netted the next 2 points on a serving error and a Jessica McNellis kill before Kelsey Safranek ripped off 1 of her match-high 6 kills for game point.

The Mustangs built a 10-5 cushion in the second game and controlled the action the rest of the night.

It was just the performance Downers South coach Colleen Reagan wanted to see from her players, who were coming off being swept at home by Wheaton Warrenville South. She had her players watch a video of last year's Wisconsin upset of Penn State for inspiration.

"We used that as our motivation and we worked on communication, and that really showed in the game," Oestermeyer said.

"The emotions and the momentum and everything today were evident, and then the score kind of takes care of itself," Reagan said.

Neuqua Valley coach Kelly Simon was not happy with her Wildcats, who were trying to bounce back from being swept at St. Charles North.

"We didn't execute and there's no excuse for that," Simon said. "I'm not pleased with the performance at all. It was absolutely unacceptable on our behalf."