Master's nearly upsets No. 19 OUAZ

TMU Women's Volleyball took the first two sets off No. 19 Ottawa University Arizona on Saturday afternoon, but the first-placed Spirit rallied back to win the thrilling Golden State Athletic Conference match in five (26-28, 22-25, 29-27, 25-19, 15-13).
 
"I always believe that our girls can beat anyone and tonight they came close to beating a ranked team, which is very exciting," Master's Head Coach Annett Davis said.
 
In the first set, the visitors led 18-14 before a 10-3 TMU run gave the Mustangs set point at 24-21. However, OUAZ scored three points in a row to keep the set alive. The Spirit earned itself set point, 26-25, but TMU saved set point through a Ruby Duncan kill. Another Duncan kill two points later won Master's the opening set.
 
TMU then dominated most of the second set, leading by as many as 14 points at 18-4.
 
"God has gifted our team with so much talent," Davis said. "They showed a lot of it tonight."
 
OUAZ almost completed a dramatic comeback, scoring 13 of the next 15 points to get to within two, but another Duncan kill this time clinched the second set for the Mustangs.
 
While Master's ultimately took a two-set-to-none lead, the Spirit gained some valuable momentum that shifted the match.
 
Ottawa led by as many as three in the third set, as late as 19-16, and gained set point leading 24-23. A Faith Tarver kill and Spirit attacking error gave the Mustangs the first of two match points they would then squander with service errors. A third match point would not be the charm, as an OUAZ kill sparked a 3-0 run the Spirit used to win the third set and force a fourth.
 
The fourth set was tightly contested throughout, until OUAZ scored six of the final seven points to force a deciding fifth set.
 
Master's took control of the final stanza, leading by as many as four, 9-5, but Ottawa scored eight of the next 10 points to go ahead by two. An OUAZ kill gave the Spirit match point, leading 14-12. An Emilye Grace Williams solo block gave the Mustangs hope, only for the visitors to win the match on the next point.
 
Natalie Collins recorded her second-career 50 assist match, while both she and Anna Poole set career-highs in digs with 26 and 31 respectively.
 
"OUAZ is a tough team and our defense did a great job digging and blocking balls to slow down their offense," Davis said.
 
Tarver once again paced the Mustang attack, leading the way with 18 kills, to go along with her 12 digs. Emily Clark (13) and Duncan (11) both tallied double-digit kills, while registering six and five blocks respectively. Emily Scott also pitched in five blocks.
 
Williams joined Tarver and Collins in posting double-doubles, with Williams recording 11 kills and 12 digs.
 
Master's (8-17 overall, 4-11 GSAC) next hits the road to play against William Jessup (Nov. 5) and Menlo (Nov. 6), before concluding its season with a home match against (RV) Westmont College on Nov. 13.