Women's Volleyball 10/21/2021 10:00:00 AM

Women's Volleyball Notes -- Week 9

WEEK 9
With the end of the regular season in sight, the No. 20 OUAZ women's volleyball team enters a home weekend looking to stay atop the GSAC standings. OUAZ is set to host William Jessup on Friday at 5 p.m. and Menlo on Saturday at 1 p.m.

OUAZ starts the weekend with a 16-2 overall record and has won four straight matches. The Spirit is 9-1 in conference play and holds a half-game lead in the standings. They are 11-1 at home during the year and 5-0 in home conference matches.

The Spirit is 3-4 against William Jessup all-time with a 1-1 record at home, with neither of those meetings being held at Faith Arena. OUAZ has won two straight in the series, including a 3-2 win in Rocklin last month.

In the series with Menlo, OUAZ has gone 2-3 overall and 1-1 at home. Saturday will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs at Faith Arena. The Spirit snapped a two-match losing streak to the Oaks with a 3-0 sweep last month in Atherton.

TICKETS AVAILABLE
Tickets for the two matches are available now by visiting OUAZSpirit.com/tickets or by downloading the HomeTown Ticketing Fan App and searching OUAZ. As a reminder, masks are required when inside Faith Arena, per OUAZ policies.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Both matches this week will be available live on the OUAZ Digital Network and the GSAC Sports Network app. The OUAZ Network is available on your computer or mobile device at OUAZSpirit.com/watch. You can download the GSAC Network app on all Amazon Fire, Android TV, Apple TV, Roku devices.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
The Spirit has spent the past three NAIA Coaches' Poll ranked at No. 20 after entering the poll for the first time in program history on September 15.

OUAZ has seen a wealth of success in matches that go the distance, recording a 6-1 record in matches that end in five sets. They are 10-1 in five-set matches over the past two seasons while winning 11 of the last 12 matches to go to a deciding set.

At 12.45 kills per set, OUAZ currently leads the GSAC and ranks 51st in the NAIA. The Spirit has recorded more kills than its opponents in 15 matches this year. They have also had a higher hitting percentage in 15 matches while hitting .198 overall to lead the conference.

The Spirit is the GSAC leader with an average of 1.92 service aces per set. That has the team 40th in the NAIA. The team is second in the conference by getting 17.32 digs per set. OUAZ also averages 1.59 blocks per set, and they hold the opposition to .125 hitting.

Kate Pestova has tallied 298 kills on the season, and she leads the conference at 3.91 kills per set. Her kills per set average are 14th in the NAIA heading into the weekend.

Pestova has reached double figures in kills 17 times this season and in 33 of the 34 matches, she has played at OUAZ.
She has recorded seven double-doubles and has two matches this season –and three in her OUAZ career – with 20-plus kills and 20-plus digs.
Pestova also leads the conference and ranks 20th in the NAIA by averaging 4.4 points per set.

Avie Butsko is hitting a team-best .294 to place second in the conference and 52nd nationally.

Butsko has been in double figures in kills nine times this season and 26 times at OUAZ.
Butsko currently ranks 15th in the conference with 167 kills and an average of 2.35 kills per set.

Cristal Carrizoza has been a critical factor in the success of the Spirit this season, running the offense to its highest averages in program history.

She leads the GSAC with 686 total assists and by averaging 9.66 assists per set.
Carrizoza is the only player in program history to surpass 1,000 career assists, and she enters the weekend with 1,073 at OUAZ.
Carrizoza is also the GSAC leader at 0.59 aces per set, while her 42 total aces are third-most in the league.
She holds the OUAZ all-time record with 82 career aces, with 47 aces this season the program's single-season record.
Carrizoza recorded the first 50-20 matches in program history with 54 assists and 22 digs against Westmont on September 18.

Valentina Trovato leads the Spirit with 308 digs – third-most in the GSAC – and she is averaging 4.11 digs per set.

That average ranks fourth in the conference.
Trovato has reached double figures in digs 15 times this season and 29 times in her OUAZ career.

Chelsea Taylor has recorded 59 blocks to lead the GSAC in the category. She has tallied at least three blocks in a match 12 times this season.

Her 0.88 blocks per set ranks fifth in the conference.
Taylor needs 20 blocks to set the OUAZ single-season record.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Spirit will continue its run at the conference title with a road trip to California next weekend. They play at Westmont on October 29 and at The Master's on October 30.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#14 Avie Butsko: MB; 5' 11"; Senior

#17 Cristal Carrizoza: S; 5' 9"; Junior

#13 Kate Pestova: OH; 5' 10"; Senior

#18 Chelsea Taylor: MB/OPP; 5' 11"; Senior

#2 Valentina Trovato: L; 5' 6"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#14 Avie Butsko
: 5' 11"; Senior
: MB

#17 Cristal Carrizoza
: 5' 9"; Junior
: S

#13 Kate Pestova
: 5' 10"; Senior
: OH

#18 Chelsea Taylor
: 5' 11"; Senior
: MB/OPP

#2 Valentina Trovato
: 5' 6"; Senior
: L