(Chandler, AZ) The Pima Community College volleyball team (12-12, 9-6 in ACCAC) suffered a setback on Friday in its match at Chandler-Gilbert Community College (11-10, 7-8).
The Aztecs fell in straight sets to the Coyotes 25-23, 25-19, 25-19 in their third meeting this season. Pima had won the previous two encounters; winning in five sets in Chandler on Sept. 10 and picking up a victory in four sets at the West Campus Aztec Gymnasium on Sept. 25.
There was a combined 24 ties and 13 lead changes in the first two sets of the match.
The Aztecs and the Coyotes opened the first set with neither team capturing a lead by more than three points for the first 39 combined points of the set. Freshman Maggie McReynolds (Mountain View HS) had back-to-back kills to put Pima up 18-17 but the Coyotes scored five straight to take a 22-18 advantage. Trailing 24-20, the Aztecs called timeout. Freshman Julia Baird and sophomore Haylee Gilleland (Flagstaff HS) had back-to-back kills and sophomore Taylor Crawford (Ironwood Ridge HS) put down an ace as they closed the gap to 24-23. The Coyotes called timeout to regroup and won the next point to go up 1-0 in the match. There were 13 ties and seven lead changes in the first set.
The teams went back and forth in the second set. The Coyotes scored four straight points, but the Aztecs countered with four of their own as Gilleland and McReynolds had kills to tie it up at 9-9. Freshman Kendall Snyder (Canyon del Oro HS) had a block at the net for a point to cut the deficit to 20-19 but the Coyotes scored five straight points to finish the set and go up 2-0. The Aztecs did not take more than a one-point lead in the game. There were 11 ties and six lead changes in the second set.
The third set got away from the Aztecs as the Coyotes opened with six straight points. Down 18-9, the Aztecs got kills from Gilleland, sophomore Kenna Simon and McReynolds as well as an ace from sophomore Jasmin Joseph (Tanque Verde HS) to cut it to 18-13 but could not get any closer as Chandler-Gilbert completed the sweep.
McReynolds finished the match with eight kills and one block while Gilleland posted six kills and one block. Simon had five kills and two blocks.
The Aztecs will step away from ACCAC Division II conference play as they host Central Arizona College on Wednesday at the West Campus Aztec Gymnasium. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.
Press Release courtesy of Pima Aztec Athletics – Raymond Suarez
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