Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

MOUNT VERNON – Solon has had several big wins and knocked off ranked teams during a stellar 12-1 start to the season.

The Spartans tacked on another biggie on Tuesday.

Class 3A fourth-ranked Solon rallied from an opening set loss to down 3A eighth-ranked Mount Vernon 15-25, 25-22, 22-25, 25-14, 18-16 in a five-set WAMAC East Division thriller in Mount Vernon.

“If you think about it Solon has kind of been the doormat to Mount Vernon for many years,” Solon coach Ruben Galvan said. “Now to get a win like this and even be considered or a conference championship that speaks volumes of this group right here.”

Last season Solon snapped an 11-match losing streak to Mount Vernon with a sweep of the Mustangs in Solon for its first win over its Highway 1 rival since 2018.

There was nothing easy on Tuesday night but Solon found a way to add a second consecutive win over the Mustangs in a marathon match that featured a near 30-minute delay after tornado sirens sounded in Mount Vernon.

“It means a lot, this is our second win over them in a long time,” Solon junior CJ Whitford said. “To beat them two years in a row it means a lot.”

Sophomore Amelia Guinn had five of her match-high 19 kills in the fifth set and Whitford added 16 kills including the match-clincher as Solon improved to 13-1 on the season.

Mount Vernon got 17 kills from Madelyn Paulus senior Sophia Meester but dropped to 13-4.

“It was definitely fun but I felt sick the last few points I won’t lie,” Guinn said. “I just love playing with these teammates and it was an amazing experience.”

Mount Vernon never trailed in a 25-15 win in the opening set but Solon responded with a 25-22 win in the second set.

Whitford had five kills and Guinn three kills in the second set as Solon evened the match.

Immediately following the second set both teams and fans were sent to safety after tornado sirens sounded with the arrival of a strong thunderstorm.

The delay lasted nearly 30 minutes.

“I thought we needed that break, I thought it settled us down and we reflected on what happened the first game where we got handled pretty well,” Galvan said. “I think they had the opportunity to take a deep a breath and relax and see what they were doing so we could attack that.”

Mount Vernon closed the third set with a 5-1 run to overcome a 21-20 deficit and seemingly take control of the match.

Solon answered back.

“We all noticed individually that we weren’t going to let this match end that way and we all had to play for each other,” Solon senior Macy Fuller said. “We have a lot of trust in this team and we know we have each other’s backs and we aren’t going to let each other down.”

Solon used a 7-2 run in the fourth set to build a 15-8 lead it would never give up.

Guinn and Whitford each had four kills in the fourth and Solon got a boost from junior Hailey Gorham who had two kills in each of the final two sets and finished with six kills.

“Hailey (Gorham) I’ve always told her you need to be ready when your name is called,” Galvan said. “She was ready and it was really good to see that.”

Solon built an 11-7 lead in the fifth set but Mount Vernon rallied back and had match point at 15-14.

Solon responded with kill by Guinn and a block by Harper Nicholson to take a 16-15 lead.

Mount Vernon fought off match-point for the Spartans but Solon scored the final two points.

Gorham had a kill to give the Spartans a 17-16 lead and Whitford put the match away with a cross-court winner.

“At first I thought I wasn’t going to get back in but the points kept going back and forth,” Whitford said. “I just told myself to always be prepared when the ball is going to come to me.”

Makinley Galvan had eight kills, Addison Walter added six kills and four blocks and Nicholson had three kills and six blocks for Solon.

“Our communication was better and we just felt more like a team,” Whitford said. “It was a lot of back and forth and we pulled through in the end and that’s all that matters.”

Solon                          15  25  22  25  18

Mount Vernon          25  22  25  14  16

Solon (Kills-aces-blocks)

Macy Fuller 0-1-0, Addison Walter 6-1-4, Charleigh Whitford 16-0-6, Kalynn Timmons 1-2-0, Ava Hohn 1-2-0, Harper Nicholson 3-0-6, Makinley Galvan 8-0-1, Amelia Guinn 19-0-1, Hailey Gorham 6-0-1, Zephie Bishop 1-0-0, Totals 61-6-19.

Assists – Scarlett Ferin 25, Ava Hohn 25, Macy Fuller 8, Amelia Guinn 1, Addison Walter 1

Mount Vernon (Kills-aces-blocks)

Mavrik Schweer 1-2-0, Ella Wilson 4-0-5, Madison Hoffert 9-4-3, Alexis Boren 0-4-0, Stella Merino 3-0-1, Madelyn Paulus 17-0-1, Kinley Nissen 0-1-0, Brynlee Bettcher 5-3-3, Sophia Meester 17-0-3, Totals 56-14-16.

Assists – Madison Hoffert 50, Mavrik Schweer 2, Sophia Meester 2

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