The Los Medanos College Mustangs battled with passion but fell 3–0, losing sets 25–17, 25–11 and 25–11 to Solano College on Nov. 7, in a match that showcased their hustle, resilience and teamwork. Despite the sweep, the coach along with the players really emphasized that the team’s mentality and urge to fight showed a drastic improvement from their earlier game with Solano.
No. 1 Libero Himani Bakshi said the Mustangs came into the rematch with a way stronger mindset from the opening serve.
“We came out with a lot of hustle,” she said. “Last time we played Solano, our energy was low. This game we definitely put up a different fight.”
Solano jumped to an early lead in the first set, using aggressive serves to build a quick gap. LMC responded by fixing their communication and stringing together fast, with properly timed plays that cut into the deficit and forced Solano to change their playstyle. A timeout at 5–12 during the second set helped the Mustangs reset something Bakshi said has become one of the team’s strengths.
“In those 30 seconds, we talk about our personal goal and team goal,” Bakshi said. “We go back out there ready to apply for it.”
Though the early lead Solano built up seemed too vast to come back from, the momentum shift carried into the second set. Even after No. 10 Fetuloa Te’o had an injury just two points in, LMC surged back with a three-point rally. Solano countered with heavy pressure, but the Mustangs stayed passionate. After a tense moment when a ball bounced and ricocheted off No. 7 Mya Williams’ face, LMC regrouped with a substitution and immediately responded with a four-point rally that reflected their grit.
Middle blocker Toni Camacho said staying grounded played a primary role in all those runs.
“Getting out of our head and realizing our mistakes don’t define us really helped,” she said. “If you want it that bad, you fight for the next point.”
The third set was LMC’s strongest showing. The Mustangs scored the first point and played with fire, extending rallies and refusing to let balls drop. After falling behind 11–4, they responded out of a timeout by trading points and doubling their momentum to pull back 15–8. But late errors widened the gap again, allowing Solano to close out the match.
Head coach Taylor Thompson said she wasn’t discouraged by the result.
“In my opinion, it’s not a rough game,” Thompson said. “Solano is a good team, and I think we played well for the most part. We competed, we rallied, and they laid everything out on the court. That’s all I ask of them.”
Thompson highlighted two chaotic rally wins both involving scrambling saves and improvisation as standout plays showing the team’s heart.
“Stuff that shouldn’t happen does happen when you don’t give up,” she said. “And they didn’t.”
Looking forward, the Mustangs plan to focus on locking down the fundamentals.
“We’re working on controlling what we can control,” Thompson said. “If we keep that mindset, everything else will fall into place.”
