It was a slow start for the Mojo as the Indy Ignite came into Viejas Arena firing. The match started with a rare unsuccessful challenge for the Mojo on the first play of the game, continuing into a hot start and a 25-22 win for the Ignite in set one.
This would be the Ignite’s last taste of momentum, however, as the Mojo would go on to win the next three sets without allowing the Ignite to touch 20 points again. Leading the Mojo to a 3-1 victory was rookie outside hitter Maya Tabron.
Tabron was able to end the season scoring 10+ points in 12/14 of her final matches, capped off with a team-high 20-point effort against the Ignite. Adding to her impressive point total, Tabron tallied 14 kills and 10 digs, giving her a double-double.
“The support system in this league, on each one of the teams for the rookies, is so great,” said Tabron regarding her dominant performance and season. “So I just really look to other people and my teammates around me when I’m struggling, and obviously I hope to do that for the next couple of years as well.”
Along with Tabron, the Mojo rallied around great performances from their whole team. Middles Regan Pittman and Ronika Stone protected the net all night, totaling five and three blocks, respectively.
Backing up the blockers, all-star Labero Shara Venegas refused to let the ball touch the ground and racked up a season high 26 digs with just one passing error.
“She’s just a ball of energy, like she comes out there and everyone sees her slap the floor and it gets us all hype,” said Tabron when discussing the impact of Venegas. “She gets a big dig, and she expects us to execute it, but at the same time, if we need energy, we look to her.”
Completing a well-rounded performance was a powerful Mojo offense. Mojo setter Lee Da-yeong subbed in during set two and immediately impacted the game. Da-Yeong had a game-high 34 assists, including passes to outside hitters Yaasmeen Bedart-Ghani and Jenaisya Moore, who finished with 13 points each.
Nobody was more thrilled with the Mojo’s performance than the fans. They showed up large and loud tonight, doing everything they could to push the Mojo for one last victory to end the season.
The energy was electrified in the second set when the Mojo had momentum and attained a 14-10 lead, resulting in “let’s go Mojo” chants erupting in the stands. Outside hitter Yaasmeen Bedart-Ghani then dropped a hammer serve, creating a free spike for Pittman as she blasted the ball down, sending Viejas Arena into a frenzy. Pittman continued to capitalize on the energy of the set, finishing it with a block and finger wag that had the crowd on their feet.
“We’ve always had good fans, but tonight was just a step up. We get going, and the fans get louder, and we get momentum. The fans really helped out with that,” said Tabron.
It was a successful end to a long season for the Mojo. The victory against the Ignite completed a two-win homestand and a four-game home win streak, leaving both players and fans happy.
“Emotional end to the season. I’m proud of the way that this team just continued to fight, and we got to end on a win streak, and more importantly, we got to do it in front of our own fans and family,” said Head Coach Tayyiba Haneef-Park.
While San Diego may have wrapped up the year, the PVF is now headed to the playoffs as the league looks to crown its second champion. The playoffs will kick off when the fourth-placed Indy Ignite take on the first-placed Omaha Supernovas on May 9 at the CHI Health Center.
