Surprise, Ariz. – OUAZ Women's Volleyball continued its strong push toward the postseason Friday night, sweeping Park-Gilbert 3-0 (25-11, 25-23, 25-13) inside Faith Arena. The victory improved the Spirit to 19-5 overall and 12-1 in GSAC play as OUAZ won its seventh consecutive match.
The Spirit were dominant throughout the evening, hitting .354 as a team while holding the Buccaneers to a .084 hitting percentage. OUAZ finished with 43 kills, 38 assists, 45 digs, seven service aces, and eight total blocks while forcing 18 Park-Gilbert attacking errors.
OUAZ took control early in the opening set and never looked back. A lengthy service run by Hannah Allman helped turn a 10-4 lead into a commanding 16-4 advantage. During the stretch, the Spirit recorded three service aces and received key kills from Gloria Moye, Jenna Sarff, McKenna Diederich, and Elisa Saunders. OUAZ cruised to a 25-11 victory while hitting .419 in the set.
The second set proved to be the most competitive of the evening. Park-Gilbert erased an early deficit and built a 20-18 advantage late in the frame. The Spirit responded when it mattered most, scoring seven of the final 10 points. Saunders sparked the comeback with three late kills, while Bella Reach and Sarff added crucial points down the stretch. OUAZ closed the set on a 7-3 run to secure a hard-fought 25-23 victory and move within one set of the sweep.
The Spirit left little doubt in the third set. OUAZ built a 16-6 lead behind strong play from Saunders, Moye, Allman, and Diederich. After Park-Gilbert briefly cut into the deficit, the Spirit answered with a decisive closing run fueled by kills from Saunders, Allman, Rylie Henige, and Allison Pivonka. A block by Henige and Pivonka on match point sealed the 25-13 victory and completed the sweep.
By the Numbers
- Elisa Saunders led all players with 14 kills while hitting an impressive .619 and adding two block assists.
- Hannah Allman recorded seven kills, three service aces, and a .333 hitting percentage.
- Jenna Sarff added six kills and a block.
- Gloria Moye finished with five kills on a .714 hitting percentage and three total blocks.
- McKenna Diederich contributed five kills and a match-high four blocks.
- Bella Reach tallied 12 digs, two kills, an ace, and a block.
- Norma Ramirez-Barba directed the offense with 19 assists and four digs.
- Kellen Fitzgerald added 14 assists, three digs, and a service ace.
- Myra Memon anchored the back row with 10 digs.
Up Next
OUAZ (19-5, 12-1 GSAC) will continue its homestand on Saturday, Oct. 31, when the Spirit host Arizona Christian in another GSAC matchup. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. inside Faith Arena.
