Surprise, Ariz. – OUAZ Women's Volleyball battled through a five-set thriller on Halloween afternoon, defeating Arizona Christian 3-2 (25-17, 25-14, 24-26, 20-25, 15-8) inside Faith Arena. The victory improved the Spirit to 20-5 overall and 13-1 in GSAC play as OUAZ extended its winning streak to eight matches.
After taking the first two sets, the Spirit saw Arizona Christian rally to force a decisive fifth set. OUAZ responded with a dominant final frame, hitting .588 without an attacking error to secure the victory in front of the home crowd.
The Spirit opened the match with a strong performance in the first set, using a 12-3 run midway through the frame to build separation. Elisa Saunders, Hannah Allman, Gloria Moye, and McKenna Diederich led the attack, while blocks from Moye and Jenna Sarff helped limit the Firestorm offense. OUAZ closed the set with a service ace from Allman before Moye delivered the set-clinching kill.
OUAZ carried that momentum into the second set, jumping out to an early lead and never relinquishing control. Diederich recorded several key kills while Allman, Saunders, and Bella Reach chipped in offensively. The Spirit forced Arizona Christian into a number of attacking errors and cruised to a 25-14 victory to move within one set of the sweep.
The match shifted in the third set as Arizona Christian mounted a comeback. The Firestorm erased a late deficit and fought off match point before claiming a 26-24 win. OUAZ received timely offense from Saunders, Diederich, and Allman, but Arizona Christian closed the set with consecutive points to extend the match.
Arizona Christian continued its momentum in the fourth set, using a late run to secure a 25-20 victory. Despite kills from Saunders, Moye, and Allman, the Firestorm forced a winner-take-all fifth set.
The Spirit responded emphatically in the final frame. OUAZ raced out to a 6-1 lead behind kills from Saunders and Allman, along with strong net play from Moye. The Spirit never allowed Arizona Christian back into contention, extending the lead to 14-8 before Myra Memon recorded a service ace and the Firestorm committed a service error on match point to seal the victory.
By the Numbers
- Elisa Saunders led all players with 17 kills and added three block assists.
- Gloria Moye turned in a dominant performance with 14 kills, a .355 hitting percentage, four total blocks, and two solo blocks.
- Hannah Allman recorded 13 kills, three service aces, and 17 digs.
- McKenna Diederich added nine kills and three blocks.
- Myra Memon anchored the defense with a match-high 27 digs and two service aces.
- Bella Reach contributed 13 digs, three kills, and a service ace.
- Norma Ramirez-Barba directed the offense with 29 assists, 12 digs, and a service ace.
- Kellen Fitzgerald added 19 assists and nine digs.
- OUAZ finished with 60 kills, 58 assists, 100 digs, and eight service aces.
Up Next
OUAZ (20-5, 13-1 GSAC) will continue its homestand on Friday, Nov. 6, when the Spirit host Hope International in another GSAC matchup. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. inside Faith Arena, with the evening also serving as Senior Night.
