Santa Clarita, Calif. — No. 6 OUAZ Men's Volleyball saw its postseason run come to an end in the GSAC Championship match, falling to No. 2 The Master's in straight sets (25-14, 25-18, 25-18) Saturday afternoon at The MacArthur Center.
The Mustangs, the top seed in the tournament, came out strong in the opening set, hitting an impressive .609 while building an early lead that the Spirit were unable to overcome. OUAZ struggled to find offensive rhythm in the frame as The Master's controlled the tempo on both sides of the net.
The Spirit showed more resistance in the second set, staying within striking distance midway through behind kills from Jack Hubbard and Caeden Salmen. However, a strong service run by The Master's helped create separation late as the Mustangs took a two-set advantage.
OUAZ continued to battle in the third set, turning in its most efficient offensive performance of the match (.188 hitting percentage). The Spirit kept things competitive early and traded points throughout the middle portion of the set, but The Master's used timely kills down the stretch to close out the match and secure the GSAC title.
Hubbard led OUAZ with eight kills, while Salmen added six kills and a team-high three blocks. Treven Clizbe chipped in three kills and two blocks, and setter Madduxx Goron recorded 16 assists to guide the Spirit offense. Defensively, Thomas Plaskett led the team with eight digs, while Bodhi Bettes and Salmen each added six.
The Master's was led by Isaac Seltzer's match-high 19 kills, while Trace Oswald made a significant impact from the service line with five aces.
OUAZ concludes the match with a 20-5 overall record and will now await its postseason fate as the NAIA National Championship selection committee finalizes the tournament field.
