Surprise, Ariz. – OUAZ Women's Volleyball continued its strong start to conference play on Friday night, defeating Benedictine Mesa in a hard-fought five-set match inside Faith Arena. The Spirit improved to 6-3 overall and 2-0 in GSAC play with the victory, extending their strong early-season momentum on their home floor.
Set 1: Spirit Dominate Early
OUAZ opened the match firing on all cylinders, recording 17 kills while hitting a blistering .364 as a team. McKenna Diederich set the tone early for the Spirit, hammering down five kills on just five swings. Hannah Allman helped orchestrate the offense with nine assists in the opening frame.
Defensively, Addi Adams collected four digs to disrupt the Red Hawks' attack, while Gloria Moye anchored the front row. The Spirit's defensive effort held Benedictine Mesa to a .030 hitting percentage on the way to a convincing opening-set victory.
Set 2: Red Hawks Respond
Benedictine Mesa adjusted quickly at the net and increased its defensive pressure in the second set. The teams battled through four ties and two lead changes while OUAZ continued to generate offense with 15 kills.
Despite the Spirit's strong attacking numbers, the Red Hawks were able to dig up several key swings late in the set and edged OUAZ by three points to even the match at 1-1.
Set 3: Spirit Regain Control
The third set featured another tightly contested battle, with six ties as both teams traded points throughout the frame.
Diederich remained nearly unstoppable, posting another five kills while hitting a perfect 1.000 in the set. Elisa Saunders added three timely kills of her own, helping OUAZ maintain a .290 hitting percentage. The Spirit managed to pull away late and secured the set by two points to reclaim the match lead.
Set 4: Red Hawks Force a Decider
Facing elimination, Benedictine Mesa refused to go away in the fourth set. Kylie Malone led the Red Hawks with four kills, while Taylee Wilson guided the offense with seven assists.
A strong blocking effort helped Benedictine Mesa withstand a late OUAZ push. Despite four late kills from the Spirit, the Red Hawks fought off match point and escaped with a dramatic 26-24 victory to force a winner-take-all fifth set.
Set 5: Spirit Finish the Job
With the match on the line, OUAZ delivered its most efficient offensive set of the night.
The Spirit recorded nine kills while hitting .500 without committing an attacking error. McKenna Diederich and Delaney Wilson each contributed two kills, while Norma Ramirez-Barba distributed five assists in the decisive frame.
The efficient attack and steady defense allowed OUAZ to create separation early in the set before pulling away for a six-point victory to secure the match.
Up Next
OUAZ (6-3, 2-0 GSAC) will continue conference play on Tuesday, Sept. 15, when it hosts La Sierra at 6 p.m. inside Faith Arena. The Spirit will look to remain unbeaten in GSAC action and continue their strong start to the conference season.
