SURPRISE, ARIZ. – In the first GSAC match at Faith Arena in 2024, the OUAZ women's volleyball needed a reverse sweep to take away a victory. On Thursday night, the Spirit needed five sets again to stay unbeaten at home in conference play, defeating Hope International.

"Whatever we are doing, we do it as a team," OUAZ libero Amey Rainaud, who led the match in digs with 20, said. "When we win, we are all having fun together and that is what we focus on as the season continues."

After losing the first set 25-23, OUAZ battled back to win both the second and third sets 25-16. The Royals would tie the match in sets after pulling away late in the fourth, but the Spirit grabbed control of the deciding set to finish with a 15-8 final.

OUAZ had at least 10 kills in each of the five sets, and finished with a total of 63 compared the Royals 46. The Spirit also had a team attack percentage of .252, and the team had assists on 57 of its kills.

Lauren Wamsley had another double-double, finishing with 20 kills and 11 digs. Wamsley had the moment of the night, as her team trailed 8-7 in the fourth set, the Arizona native scored four consecutive aces to seize momentum.

Kiera Adrian and Jenna Sarff each had double-digit kills, as Adiran finished with 11 while Sarff had 10. Sarff was particularly efficient on Friday, needing only 26 attacks and finishing with a .308 attack percentage.

Beatriz Paolinetti and Logan Kuehn passed the ball spectacularly, as they each finished with 20+ assists. Paolinetti finished the night with 26, and Kuehn dished out the second-most helpers with 21.

Jessica Pearce dominated at the net again, finishing with seven kills and seven block assists. The Spirit had 14 block assists as a team, and five different players record at least one.

OUAZ will get back on the court on Friday, looking to get its fourth win of the GSAC schedule against Life Pacific. First serve inside Faith Arena is set for 6 p.m.