THE AGENDA
The OUAZ men's volleyball team returns to action at home this Friday when they host crosstown rival Arizona Christian in a Golden State Athletic Conference match. The action begins at 7 p.m. at Willow Canyon High School.
 
Admission is free to all OUAZ home volleyball matches this season. Fans attending the games are encouraged to park on the south side of the gymnasium and enter the building through the west doors.
 
OUAZ Live will provide live video of the match on the NAIA Network and the Spirit Game Central portal. The NAIA Network is available on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku devices by searching NAIA. OUAZ Live has links for all live coverage at OUAZSpirit.com/live.
 
ABOUT THE SPIRIT
OUAZ enters Friday's match at 5-5 overall this season and looking to snap a four-match losing streak. The Spirit are 0-3 in GSAC play and tied for fifth in the standings with ACU. They have gone 1-1 at home this season and 0-1 in home conference matches.
 
The Spirit average 11.09 kills per set and they are hitting .215 to rank fifth in the GSAC in each category. They are second in the league with an average of 1.73 service aces per set. OUAZ holds the opposition to .136 hitting which leads the GSAC. They are third in the conference at 1.92 blocks per set and fourth at 9.00 digs per set.
 
Jacob Vander Beek leads the team with 86 kills and his 3.19 kills per set is fourth in the GSAC. He has three matches this season with double-digit kills while hitting .227 to place 13th in the conference. Vander Beek has also recorded 32 digs and 10 blocks.
 
James Yahner is averaging 2.47 kills per set to place him eighth in the conference. He has twice tallied 10-plus kills in a match this season. Yahner is sixth in the GSAC at 0.43 aces per set and 13th at 1.63 digs per set.
 
Colin Donisthorpe leads the team with 26 blocks, and he is fifth in the GSAC at 0.81 blocks per set. He has recorded multiple blocks in a match six times this season and had three in each of the team's two matches last week.
 
Andrew de'Leon leads the Spirit with 215 assists and he is third in the conference at 8.27 assists per set.
 
Joaquin Santa Cruz ranks third in the GSAC by averaging 2.38 digs per set. He has been in double figures in digs three times this season.
 
ABOUT ARIZONA CHRISTIAN
In their inaugural season of men's volleyball, Arizona Christian if 0-5 overall and 0-3 in GSAC matches. They average 5.33 kills per set and are hitting negative-.008 on the season. Nate Mayfield leads the Firestorm with 25 kills.
 
OUAZ swept the Firestorm in a non-conference match last month in the only previous meeting between the two teams.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
OUAZ will play at No. 5 Benedictine Mesa on March 1 in next week's lone match. The first GSAC meeting between the two teams is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start at Mesa Community College.