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OUAZ Athletics

Kate Pestova - August 19, 2021
1
Wayland Baptist WBU 0-1
3
Winner OUAZ OUAZ 1-0
Wayland Baptist WBU
0-1
1
Final
3
OUAZ OUAZ
1-0
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Wayland Baptist WBU 18 17 25 22 (1)
OUAZ OUAZ 25 25 22 25 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

Spirit Win Thriller to Open Season and Give Steele 500th Win

SURPRISE, Ariz. – After beating Wayland Baptist in an exciting match to end the season less than five months ago, the OUAZ women's volleyball team opened the 2021 season with a thrilling four-set win over their Texas rivals on Thursday night at Faith Arena.
 
In earning the 25-18, 25-17, 22-25, 25-22 victory to start the OUAZ Invitational, OUAZ head coach Kristin Steele earned her 500th career coaching victory in the first match of her 25th season and fifth leading the Spirit.
 
OUAZ (1-0) faced little resistance in jumping out to a 2-0 lead as the team never trailed in either of the first two sets. In building the advantage, the Spirit held a 34-16 edge in kills and had an answer for every Wayland Baptist (0-1) attack.
 
That changed in the third set as the visitors equaled their kills total from the first two sets while holding the Spirit to only 10 to avoid the sweep. The Pioneers were on the verge of forcing a fifth set with a 21-17 lead, but OUAZ closed on an 8-1 run to complete the win.
 
Kate Pestova picked up where she left off in the spring with a match-high 23 kills on a .255 hitting performance. The total is tied for second-most for a match in program history and it's the first 20-kill performance in a four-set match in team history. Pestova also added 18 digs for her 10th career double-double.
 
Riding that effort from Pestova, OUAZ finished the match with 57 kills and hitting .190. Cristal Carrizoza was the benefactor of the Spirit attack as she distributed a career-high 48 assists. She also posted 13 digs for her fourth career double-double.
 
The Spirit held WBU to 44 kills overall and limited the Pioneers to .130 hitting. That came behind 96 digs as a team – fourth-most in program history – and five players with double-digit digs. Valentina Trovato tallied 26 of those while Kahea A'ea added 20 digs and three service aces.
 
Chelsea Taylor added 12 kills on .385 hitting for the Spirit. Freshman Alyssa Charlton provided six kills and a team-high four blocks in her collegiate debut.
 
Paxton Patterson led WBU with 19 kills on .321 hitting.
 
The OUAZ Invitational will continue on Friday with three matches being held at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona. The Spirit return to action on Saturday when they face Montana State-Northern at 6 p.m. and Embry-Riddle at 8 p.m. in Faith Arena.
 
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