PHOENIX – The OUAZ women's volleyball team opened their 2018 season on Friday by splitting a pair of matches at the Firestorm Labor Day Invitational hosted by Arizona Christian University. The Spirit fell in three sets to Benedictine Mesa to start the day and then earned a five-set win over Saint Katherine to close the day's action.
 
After playing close to Benedictine in the first two sets, OUAZ (1-1) struggled in the third and fell by scores of 26-24, 25-22, 25-9. The Spirit couldn't match the offensive output of the opposition as they allowed 37 kills and .202 hitting while recording just 28 kills and hitting .094 in defeat.
 
Jorie Mayfield led the Spirit with 13 kills in the opener. The senior hit .241 and she added three digs, two blocks, and one service ace.
 
In the evening match, OUAZ seemed in control of the match after taking the opening two sets 25-21 and 25-14. Saint Katherine was able to extend the match to a fifth set after winning the third and fourth sets by scores of 25-23 and 25-22 respectively. OUAZ closed out its first win of the season by a count of 15-12 in the fifth set.
 
Offense wasn't the issue for OUAZ in the second match as the Spirit racked up 60 kills behind .250 hitting. They were able to win the opening two sets behind 28 kills and just six errors in the two frames. For the match, OUAZ held Saint Katherine to 48 kills and .182 hitting.
 
Mayfield turned it up in match two with 19 kills and .293 hitting. She would added six aces and seven digs to complete a stellar opening day.
 
Rachel Kater recorded the first triple-double in school history with 37 assists, 10 kills, and 13 digs. She totaled 59 assists and 18 digs during the day's two matches.
 
OUAZ would also see 12 kills from Raelynn Therio and a school-record 33 digs from Kelsey Marchant in the win over Saint Katherine.
 
The Spirit will return to Fultz Memorial Gym on Saturday for two more matches to close the ACU tournament. They play Embry-Riddle Aeronautical at noon and SAGU American Indian College at 2 p.m.