The Thomas MacLaren School Highlanders will face off against the Manitou Springs Mustangs at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Tuesday, Thomas MacLaren School made easy work of The Colorado Springs School and carried off a 3-0 win.
While Thomas MacLaren School might've won, it sure wasn't easy: The Colorado Springs School scored at least 18 points in every set they played. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-23, 25-23, 25-18.
Meanwhile, Manitou Springs can bid farewell to their three-match losing streak thanks to their match on Tuesday. They had just enough and edged out Florence 3-2.
Manitou Springs had a slow start but a hot finish: after dropping the first two sets, they turned around to win the next three. The match finished with set scores of 23-25, 21-25, 25-22, 25-18, 17-15.
Thomas MacLaren School better keep an eye on Gracie Esterline. She was instrumental in Manitou Springs' win, getting 19 digs and two aces. Those 19 digs gave Esterline a new career-high.
Manitou Springs was lethal from the service line and finished the match with 15 aces. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now served at least five aces in seven consecutive matches.
Manitou Springs' victory bumped their record up to 9-12. As for Thomas MacLaren School, their win bumped their record up to 13-8.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Thursday's matchup: Thomas MacLaren School has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 9.8 aces per game. However, it's not like Manitou Springs struggles in that department as they've been averaging 10.4 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Thomas MacLaren School came up short against Manitou Springs in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, falling 3-1. Will the Highlanders have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
