The OUAZ Women's volleyball team traveled to Benedictine University in Mesa on Tuesday, Aug. 22, losing in a straight-set sweep, 3-0 (22-25, 13-25, 17-25).
 
Brittnie Henige led the Spirit with six kills on 17 swings.  Cristal Carrizoza led the squad with 12 assists, while five others chipped in nine others.  All-American Kenzie Kuxhaus had a match-high 22 digs.
 
In the first set and the score tied 5-all, Benedictine University (3-0) went on a 6-4 run to take an 11-9 lead.  Carrizoza started an OUAZ (0-1) run that would stretch to a 6-1 run and a 15-12 lead before BenU would take a timeout to kill the rally.  It would lead to a 9-4 run for the Red Hawks and a 21-19 lead for the home team, before the Spirit would call time.  BU would close out the first set 25-22.
 
The second set would see OUAZ start the set with service.  Jumping out to a 5-2 lead, only to see BenU come storming back to tie the set at 7-all and eventually take a 16-9 lead with a 12-2 run.  When OUAZ took a timeout to squelch the rally.  Which is exactly what happened, if only temporarily.  After the Spirit got a point to stop the rally, BenU started another one and took it all the way to the set win.
 
OUAZ and Benedictine battled in the third set.  Neither team in the early going of the set had more than four points when the Red Hawks had a 10-8 lead after a service error (BenU would have 11 of them in the match).  However, it was only a mirage as the team from Mesa would go on a 4-0 run leading to a timeout by the Orange and White at 14-8.  The Red Hawks closed the match out by essentially trading points with OUAZ and finished on a 9-8 run.
 
The Spirit will open the 2023 OUAZ Invitational on Thursday when they host Lewis-Clark State out of Idaho.  The match is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. in Faith Arena, depending on the previous matches in the tournament.  Get your tickets now at Hometown Tickets or by clicking here.