(Tucson, AZ) The Pima Community College volleyball team (13-12) stepped away from ACCAC Division II conference play on Wednesday for a match against Central Arizona College (ACCAC Division I) at the West Campus Aztec Gymnasium.
The Aztecs won the final two sets to beat the Vaqueras (13-13) in four games (25-16, 15-25, 25-23, 25-23). Pima’s last six matches were decided by straight sets.
The Aztecs claimed the first five points of the opening set as sophomore Jasmin Joseph (Tanque Verde HS) had two aces while sophomore Taylor Crawford (Ironwood Ridge HS) and freshman Maggie McReynolds (Mountain View HS) put down kills to open the match. The Aztecs never relinquished the lead in the set. Up 18-15, they scored the final seven of eight points to go up 1-0 in the match.
The Aztecs took an early lead in the second set, but the Vaqueras turned it around with six straight points to go up 8-4. Central Arizona held the lead from that point on. The Aztecs cut it to 20-15 but the Vaqueras scored the final five points to tie it up at 1-1.
The third set featured 11 ties. The Vaqueras went up 9-5 but the Aztecs went on a tear scoring nine straight points to take a 14-9 lead. Sophomore Elli Meinke (Ironwood Ridge HS) and freshman Ava Harrelson each had a kill and a block while sophomore Haylee Gilleland (Flagstaff HS) provided a pair of aces. Central Arizona countered with seven of the next eight points to reclaim the lead at 16-15. Neither team would go up by more than two points for the rest of the set. Trailing 21-19, the Aztecs scored three straight after Gilleland’s kill, Crawford’s ace and McReynolds’ kill to make it 22-21. The Vaqueras went back up again at 23-22 but the Aztecs scored the final three points to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
There were seven ties in the first 14 points played to begin the fourth set. The Vaqueras matched their biggest lead of the set when they went up 18-14 but the Aztecs rallied off six of the next eight points to tie it at 20-20. Joseph’s ace capped off the run. Trailing 22-21, the Aztecs got a boost when Meinke put down a kill to tie it and Harrelson had a huge block at the net to put Pima back up 23-22. Harrelson had a kill on the next point to set up match-point. Pima won the match two points later.
Gilleland finished with a team-high 19 kills to go with two aces and one block. McReynolds closed out the match with 13 kills, two aces and one block.
Sophomore Kenna Simon posted seven kills while Meinke had six kills and one block.
The Aztecs hit the road for the last time during the regular season as they play at South Mountain Community College on Friday in an ACCAC Division II conference match. Game time is at 7:00 p.m.
Press Release courtesy of Pima Aztec Athletics – Raymond Suarez
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