(Mesa, AZ) The Park University Gilbert volleyball team started slow for the second straight game but righted the ship in four sets tonight beating visiting Westcliff 3-1 (11-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-18). The Buccaneers move to 7-5 in conference play and even their overall record at 9-9.
The Buccaneers came out slow for the second consecutive match as the Warriors blew through the Bucs like a hot knife through butter winning the first set 25-11. The Bucs hit negatively in the set with seven kills and eight errors, while Westcliff was flawless with 11 kills and no errors to hit .458.
The Bucs looked as though they were going to return the favor in set two as they jumped out to an 18-9 lead and had had full control of the set. But Westcliff outscored them 10-7 the rest of the way to make the set more respectable as the Bucs won it 25-19. Park had 19 kills in the frame with only three errors to hit .485, while Westcliff came back to earth with a .147 hitting percentage wit 10 kills and five errors.
Set three was the most competitive set of the match after the Bucs moved to an early 10-4 advantage, the Warriors clawed their way back to tie the set at 15-all. After remaining knotted over the next eight points to 19-all, each team had 3-0 runs, first Park, then Westcliff to tie the score again at 22-22. Park called a time out and went to the OH1 Railey Druxman to retake the lead as she put away a kill and then Westcliff followed with two attack errors to give the set to the Buccaneers.
Set four saw Westcliff hold the lead through the first 19 points before the Bucs tied the contest at 10-10. A Warrior error and a Porsche Bauer kill put the Bucs in front for good as they had a 6-1 run to take a 16-11 advantage. Westcliff would only get a close as three points the rest of the way as Bucs cruised home to a 25-18 match clinching set.
The Bucs out hit the Warriors in the last two sets with 17 kills in each set (34 total) to on 21 kills for the Warriors. Overall, the Bucs won the kills battle 60-42 and after hitting negatively in set one, finished with a .266 hitting percentage.
The Bucs also got it done on the defensive end with 71 digs to only 52 for Westcliff.
Mallory Turner was an absolute monster to the Warriors leading the Bucs with 16 kills and hitting .560. Turners 16 kills moves her into seventh place on the all-time kills list behind teammate Maggie Scranton who had 10 kills today. Currently the two are neck and next as Scranton as 287 career kills and Turner has 284. Turner is normally subbed out for serving even got into the act as a server tonight in set four winning three straight points on serve.
Railey Druxman added 11 kills, while Bauer added 10 putaways and hit .471 as she returned to play from an injury which kept her out of four matches.
Daniella Miranda-Johnson and Uma Lorentzen combined for 52 of the Bucs 58 assists. Makayla Simmons (16) and Lexi Golleher (12) led the back row charge with 28 of the Bucs 71 kills.
The Buccaneers close out its three-match homestand with Antelope Valley tomorrow afternoon October 14th starting at 4 p.m. at Legacy Sports Park. The Pioneers have yet to win a match this season and lost to the Bucs 3-0 back in September in Lancaster, California.
Press Release courtesy of Park University Athletics – Preston English
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