Surprise, Ariz. — In one of the biggest wins of the season, No. 12 OUAZ Men's Volleyball knocked off No. 1 The Master's in a five-set battle (25-21, 15-25, 23-25, 25-21, 15-13) Saturday afternoon at Faith Arena. The Mustangs entered the match as the defending national champions and undefeated on the year, making the victory a statement result for the Spirit in their regular season finale.
OUAZ came out strong in the opening set, using a balanced offensive attack and solid play at the net to secure a 25-21 win. The Spirit were paced early by Caeden Salmen and Jack Hubbard, who consistently found points off the arm while Madduxx Goron orchestrated the offense.
The Master's responded in set two with an efficient hitting performance, taking control early and evening the match with a 25-15 win. The Mustangs carried that momentum into the third set, edging out a tightly contested 25-23 decision to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Facing defeat, OUAZ delivered its strongest response in the fourth set. The Spirit hit an impressive .440 in the frame, with Salmen leading the charge as OUAZ pulled away late to force a decisive fifth set.
In the final set, OUAZ seized momentum early and never backed down. Key blocks at the net and timely kills from Hubbard and Salmen helped the Spirit maintain a narrow edge. With the match on the line, OUAZ closed out the upset victory at 15-13, handing The Master's its first loss of the season.
Salmen led all Spirit attackers with 19 kills while adding three blocks and an ace. Hubbard followed closely with 18 kills and seven digs, while Treven Clizbe contributed seven kills and a team-high four blocks. Goron guided the offense with 47 assists, helping OUAZ total 52 kills in the match.
The Master's was led by Isaac Seltzer's match-high 23 kills, while Matthew Hamm dished out 40 assists in the effort.
With the win, OUAZ closes the regular season at 19-4 overall and 12-2 in GSAC play. The Spirit now turn their attention to the GSAC Conference Tournament, where they will host a semifinal matchup against Benedictine Mesa. First serve is set for 6 p.m. at Faith Arena.
