The Dubuque Hempstead Mustangs are looking to regain their early season momentum as they approach the postseason.
On Monday, they received a significant boost with a strong performance against East Dubuque. The Mustangs won the match 25-22, 25-10, improving their record to 15-14 and finishing the regular season on a high note.
Key contributions came from Lexi Kuhle, who recorded nine kills, Addi Wright with seven kills, and Kate Moeller, who added six. Hempstead is set to compete in the Mississippi Valley Conference pod tournament tonight, followed by an Iowa Class 5A regional semifinal against Linn-Mar on October 24.
The Mustangs started the season with a 4-0 record but have struggled to maintain that momentum throughout the year. “We told ourselves that postseason is a new season, and we want to end on a high note,” said Kuhle, one of nine seniors on the team. “With so many seniors, we want to have a memorable end to our season.”
Wright, also a senior, celebrated her 750th career kill during the match. Earlier in the season, she recorded her 1,000th career dig. Wright’s milestones were delayed due to a stress fracture injury that limited her play at the start of the season. “It’s definitely nice coming out of an injury and getting that milestone,” she said. “Great night, I love these girls, just love being on the court with them.”
Luci Weber led the Mustangs with 20 assists, Gabbi Smith contributed nine digs, and Addison Cook served four aces. Wright noted, “We have had a rough few weeks lately, playing tough teams without many wins. Tonight we showed good execution. We didn’t have many hard swings, just a lot of smart plays. That execution gets me excited heading into the postseason.”
For East Dubuque (10-12), Rachel Anger led with four kills, Lydia Kruser recorded seven assists, and Abby Heiar totaled six digs. The Warriors initially took a 13-6 lead in the first set, but Hempstead rallied to tie it at 16-16. The first set was competitive, with six ties before the Mustangs secured the win.
“The first game, I thought we played really competitively,” said East Dubuque coach Ashley Sites. “It was great to play a team like that to really test us. In the second game, we just made too many mistakes, and it got away from us.”
With a 7-2 record in the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference and four regular-season matches remaining, East Dubuque has already achieved its most conference wins since 2019. “We’re having a great year this year,” Sites said. “The girls are putting in the effort. They’re fighting so hard this season.”
In the second set, Hempstead led from start to finish. Cook’s four aces came during an 8-0 run that put the Mustangs ahead 23-8. “Motivation is what’s driving us right now,” Wright said. “We have nine seniors, so half of us are going to be gone next year. It’s limited time; we have to use it while we can. No regrets, that’s how we’re playing right now.”
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