Mesa, Ariz. — The No. 4 OUAZ Beach Volleyball team capped off a strong run at the NAIA National Invitational Tournament on Saturday, sweeping No. 8 Wayland Baptist in the semifinals before falling in a tightly contested 3-2 championship match to No. 1 Southern Oregon at the Arizona Athletic Grounds.
In the semifinal round, the Spirit delivered a decisive 3-0 victory over Wayland Baptist, clinching the dual in straight fashion. Olga Romero and Shayna Martinez put OUAZ on the board first with a 21-15, 21-15 win in the No. 2 flight. Shea Marovich and Alexia Luengo followed with a 21-14, 21-15 victory in the No. 4 position, and Mariella Ramos and Gabriela Corrales secured the sweep with a 21-16, 21-14 win in the No. 5 flight. The dual was completed in order by the 2s, 4s, and 5s as OUAZ advanced to the championship.
The title match against Southern Oregon proved to be a back-and-forth battle that came down to the final flight. The Spirit struck first as Marovich and Luengo earned a straight-set win in the No. 4 position (21-16, 21-14), but the Raiders responded with wins in the No. 2 and No. 3 flights to take a 2-1 lead. OUAZ answered in the No. 5 flight, where Ramos and Corrales secured a 21-17, 21-17 victory to even the dual at 2-2.
With the championship on the line, all eyes turned to the No. 1 flight. Despite a strong effort from Eliana Dean and Maya Blake, Southern Oregon pulled out the final match in straight sets to secure the 3-2 team victory. The championship dual finished in order of 4s, 2s, 3s, 5s, and 1s, with the final point deciding the outcome.
OUAZ closes its season with an impressive national runner-up finish, capping a year that solidified the Spirit as one of the top programs in the NAIA.
