Women's Volleyball 10/28/2021 11:00:00 AM

Women's Volleyball Notes -- Week 10

WEEK 10
The OUAZ women's volleyball team can take a big step towards clinching a postseason berth this weekend as the Spirit heads to California for a couple of conference matches. The weekend begins in Santa Barbara to face Westmont on Friday and continues on Saturday at The Master's in Santa Clarita.

OUAZ will head to the road with an 18-2 overall record and has won six straight matches. The Spirit is 11-1 in conference play and holds a half-game lead over Westmont. This season, they have a 5-1 record on the road, including a 4-1 mark in road conference matches.

The Spirit is 1-4 all-time against Westmont, with that lone win coming in the match against the Warriors last month in Surprise. OUAZ is 0-2 in matches played in Murchison Gymnasium.

Against The Master's, the Spirit has won two straight to run its record in the series to 2-5. Both wins were in Faith Arena – including a 3-1 win in September – as OUAZ has gone 0-2 when playing the Mustangs in Santa Clarita.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Both matches this week will have a live stream available. Friday's match can be seen on the Westmont Game Central Portal. Saturday's match will be available on the OUAZ Digital Network and the GSAC Sports Network. 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
After spending the previous three polls ranked No. 20 in the 2021 NAIA Women's Volleyball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, OUAZ moved up one position to No. 19 in the fifth edition of the poll released by the national office on Wednesday.

With the win over Menlo on Saturday, the Spirit set the new program record for wins in a season with 18. OUAZ had set the record with 17 wins during the 2018 season.

The current six-match winning streak is the second-longest in program history, trailing only the eight straight wins the team had to start the season. Entering the season, the longest winning streak in program history was four consecutive.

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 12.48 kills per set, OUAZ currently leads the GSAC and ranks 51st in the NAIA. The Spirit has recorded more kills than its opponents in 17 matches this year. They have also had a higher hitting percentage in 17 matches while hitting .202 overall to lead the conference.

The Spirit is second in the GSAC and 43rd in the NAIA by averaging 1.90 service aces per set. The team is also second in the conference, with an average of 17.17 digs per set, which is 44th nationally. Add in the 1.60 blocks per set, and OUAZ holds the opposition to .113 hitting.

Kate Pestova has tallied 328 kills on the season, and she leads the conference in both total kills and at 4.05 kills per set. Her kills per set average are 14th in the NAIA heading into the weekend.

Pestova has reached double figures in kills 19 times this season and in 35 of the 36 matches she has played at OUAZ.
Pestova needs ten kills to set the OUAZ single-season record that is currently 337 by Jorie Mayfield during the 2018 season. Pestova already holds the program's career record with 574 kills.
She has recorded eight 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 16th in the NAIA by averaging 4.4 points per set.

Avie Butsko is hitting a team-best .284 to place second in the conference and 71st nationally.

Butsko has been in double figures in kills nine times this season and 26 times at OUAZ.
Butsko currently ranks 17th in the conference with 173 kills and 16th by averaging 2.25 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 789 total assists and by averaging 9.74 assists per set – 33rd in the NAIA.
Carrizoza is the only player in program history to surpass 1,000 career assists, and she enters the weekend with 1,138 at OUAZ.
Carrizoza is also the GSAC leader at 0.60 aces per set, while her 49 total aces also lead the conference and rank 10th nationally
She holds the OUAZ career record with 84 career aces, and this season's 49 aces are the 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 331 digs – third-most in the GSAC – and she is averaging 4.09 digs per set.

That average ranks fourth in the conference
Trovato has reached double figures in digs 16 times this season and 30 times in her OUAZ career.

Chelsea Taylor has recorded 63 blocks to rank fifth in the GSAC in the category. She has tallied at least three blocks in a match 13 times this season.

Her 0.86 blocks per set ranks fifth in the conference
Taylor needs 16 blocks to set the OUAZ single-season record.

LOOKING AHEAD
Next week, the Spirit will play three matches, starting with a trip to Prescott to face No. 24 Embry-Riddle on Tuesday. They will then welcome Hope International on November 5 and Life Pacific on November 6 to close out the home slate of matches.

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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