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MUSCATINE, Iowa – Muscatine rallied from small deficits in games two and three to take a 3-0 sweep of visiting Clinton in volleyball play Tuesday night.

The Muskies (19-3, 4-2 MAC) came back from five down in game two and erased a 23-22 River Queen lead in game three to take a 25-17, 26-24, 26-24 victory, extending their win streak to 15 straight.

“It was just us mentally getting after it – refocusing a bit,” Muscatine coach Laura Proffitt said of her team’s ability to overcome the River Queens’ leads. “We are getting to the point where we need to get it done, getting a side out when we needed  it and good passing.

“We have some really great players, and it is good to see they are recognizing those things and getting it done.”

With Muscatine trailing 16-11 in the second game, Haylie Franklin scored a kill off the River Queen block, Jordan Walgren had a kill out of the back row, and after Clinton received a side out, a Tia Hagy kill forced Clinton coach Mike Massey to call timeout.

Emily Hasken put down a kill to cut the deficit to 17-15 before Clinton put together a couple of points to go ahead 20-16. From there, Hasken and Allison Curry scored kills and Ashley Hogenson served up an ace to force another River Queen timeout.

After the break, a Curry kill and another Hogenson ace serve gave the Muskies a lead they

wouldn’t relinquish.

“I think we were very concerned about Haylie Franklin and rightfully so,” Massey said. “But it was non-Haylie people that made critical points for them. But I’m proud of how our girls battled and hung in there.”

Hogenson was perfect in 11 serves with two aces.

Franklin, who led the attack with 18 kills, had four straight to close out game three and turn around a 23-22 lead for the River Queens to a Muscatine match victory. She added three blocks and was 11-for-11 serving.

“I really wanted to get the game over in three,” Franklin said. “We need to get some rest. We get a week off now, and we need that what with all of this sickness going on right now.”

Sarah Massey led Clinton with 11 kills. Mallory Voss scored on five blocks for the River Queens.

The score was tied at 12 in the third game when it appeared Franklin had another kill, but the referee ruled she was over the net and gave side out to Clinton. The River Queens went on a 4-1 run at that point.

“The referee said he thought it was on only the second Clinton hit,” Franklin said. “He came up and apologized to me afterward because he was wrong. It was weird.”

Proffitt said that Franklin’s ability to take over at the end was a good sign of a leader.

“Haylie is our go-to girl,” Proffitt said. “She is an all-around good player – she puts it down, and she’s developed into a good leader for this team.”

Muscatine 25-26-26

Clinton 17-24-24

Statistics

Kills – Clinton (Devynn Paulsen 5, Sarah Massey 11, Ashley Haugen 1, Leisha Harris 3); Muscatine (Jordan Walgren 2, Allison Curry 8, Ashley Hogenson 1, Haylie Franklin 18, Emily Hasken 10, Tia Hagy 5, Hunter Berry 1); Blocks – Clinton (Paulsen 1, Haugen 2, Voss 5, Harris 1); Muscatine (Curry 1, Franklin 3, Hasken 1, Hagy 1, Berry 2); Serving – Clinton (Voss 8-11, 1 ace; Haugen 14-15; Massey 9-9; Paige Dehner 2-3; Camp 9-9; Kelsee Griswold 8-10); Muscatine (Hasken 10-11, 2 aces; Curry 10-12, 1 ace; Hogenson 11-11, 2 aces; Julie Wunder 14-15; Franklin 11-11; Walgren 8-10); Digs – Clinton (Massey 16, Dehner 12); Muscatine (Franklin 17, Walgren 16, Hogenson 10); Assists – Clinton (Haugen 12, Camp 12); Muscatine (Wunder 43).

Records – Clinton 11-9, 4-2; Muscatine 19-3, 4-2.

Next – Muscatine at Davenport West, Tuesday, Oct. 6.