GREAT FALLS, MONT. – The OUAZ women's volleyball team got its season started on Friday, playing a pair of matches at an invitational hosted by University of Providence. The Spirit defeated Evergreen in straight sets in the afternoon before battling hard with the host school in a four-set loss.
OUAZ 3, Evergreen 0
The Spirit offense was swinging early on Friday, finishing the first set with 17 kills and a .343 attack percentage. OUAZ would finish the game with 50 total kills, and a team attack percentage of .289.
Three different players finished in double-digit kills, as Lauren Wamsley led the way with 15. Kaitlin Brown and Katy Shockey had 11 and 10 kills, respectively, and had matching .421 attack percentages.
Brown and Wamsley each contributed a lot defensively as well, as they had 13 and 12 digs, respectively. Amey Rainaud led the Spirit with 14 digs, and as a team OUAZ had five different players get at least one block assist.
#23 Providence 3, OUAZ 1
The second match of the day saw the Spirit match up with the host Argos, and OUAZ battled hard against the 23rd-ranked team in the NAIA. The first set belonged to the Spirit, but they were unable to keep the momentum and dropped the next three.
Wamsley had another big contest, finishing with 13 kills (.500 attack percentage) and 14 digs, team highs in each category. Brown had another double-double (12 kills, 11 digs), and Jessica Pearce racked up 11 kills.
Rainaud was all over the floor defensively as well, finishing with 12 digs. She was lethal from the service line as well, finishing with a pair of aces as the Spirit totaled 13 between its two matches.
OUAZ will play its final game of the weekend tomorrow, matching up with Montana State-Northern. First serve is set for 6 p.m. AZT.
