Santa Clarita, Calif. – The OUAZ Women's Volleyball team suffered its first Great Southwest Athletic Conference loss of the season Friday night, falling 3-1 to No. 20 The Master's on the road. The Spirit now stand at 10-5 overall and 6-1 in GSAC play following the conference showdown.
After dropping the opening set, OUAZ battled back to claim the second before the Mustangs used strong offensive performances in the final two sets to secure the victory. The Master's finished the night hitting .311 as a team with 68 kills, while the Spirit recorded 48 kills and 94 digs.
Set 1: Mustangs Jump Out Early
The Master's came out firing, opening the match on a 5-0 run and forcing the Spirit to play from behind throughout much of the set.
OUAZ found offensive production from Delaney Wilson, Elisa Saunders, Hannah Allman, and Gloria Moye, while Myra Memon helped spark a late rally with a service ace. The Spirit cut the deficit to 24-17 late, but the Mustangs closed out the set for a 25-17 victory.
Set 2: Spirit Battle Back
OUAZ responded with its best set of the evening, hitting .232 while recording 17 kills.
The Spirit received key contributions from Saunders, Wilson, Keira Adrian, Moye, and McKenna Diederich throughout the frame. After trailing 20-19 late in the set, OUAZ finished on a 6-2 run. Diederich delivered back-to-back kills to close the set as the Spirit earned a 25-22 win and evened the match at one set apiece.
Set 3: Mustangs Retake Momentum
The third set remained competitive early with multiple ties and lead changes.
Adrian, Wilson, Moye, and Diederich helped keep the Spirit within striking distance, but The Master's offense found another gear midway through the frame. The Mustangs closed on an 11-5 run behind their high-powered attack and secured the 25-17 victory.
Set 4: The Master's Pull Away
OUAZ opened the fourth set with a 4-0 run behind kills from Diederich and Saunders, plus a service ace from Norma Ramirez-Barba. However, the Mustangs steadily chipped away and eventually took control behind a balanced attack led by Kinsley Kollmann and Chloe Grever.
The Spirit continued to battle behind kills from Saunders, Adrian, Diederich, and Hannah Allman, but The Master's closed out the set, 25-17, to secure the match.
By the Numbers
- Delaney Wilson led the Spirit with 12 kills while hitting .258.
- Elisa Saunders added 10 kills and four digs.
- McKenna Diederich turned in an efficient performances with seven kills, a .375 hitting percentage, and two blocks.
- Keira Adrian contributed six kills, 18 digs, and two blocks.
- Myra Memon anchored the back row with a match-high 22 digs and two service aces.
- Hannah Allman added 15 digs, while Norma Ramirez-Barba recorded a double-double with 18 assists and 16 digs.
- Isabella Foutz contributed 18 assists and 10 digs.
- OUAZ finished with 94 team digs, compared to 111 for The Master's.
Up Next
OUAZ (10-5, 6-1 GSAC) will look to bounce back quickly on Saturday, Oct. 3, when the Spirit travel to San Dimas, Calif., for another conference showdown against Life Pacific. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. as OUAZ continues its California road trip.
