Box Score The Master's University men's volleyball team forced 12th-ranked Ottawa University Arizona to a fifth set in the Spirit's home gym, but OUAZ ultimately prevailed over TMU in Golden State Athletic Conference action by set scores of 25-21, 20-25, 25-23, 22-25, 15-9.
"Today was a much better team effort of coming together to compete," Master's head coach
Jared Goldberg said of his team's response to its three-set loss to Arizona Christian on Friday. "We talked last night about the mindset we need to have coming into matches and we executed much better there."
In the first set, the Mustangs were unable to recover from an early 6-1 deficit but responded by winning the second. With TMU trailing 15-17 in the second, Master's went on three separate 3-0 runs, helping the Mustangs even the match at one set apiece.
In the third, TMU took an early 5-2 lead and led as late as 19-18, but three-straight OUAZ points gave the Spirit control of the set. Facing set point down 22-24, a
Wyatt Bates kill kept the Mustangs alive, but the home side captured the next point to put Master's on the brink of defeat.
However, TMU had different ideas, taking a 5-2 advantage once again in the third. This time, the Mustangs were able to hold on, extending their lead to as many as six. With a 23-19 lead in favor of Master's, OUAZ battled back to within one, but a
Ben Herb kill and a Spirit attacking error ensured that a fifth set would be needed.
OUAZ took control of the final set early on and threatened to run away with it after a Mustang service error gave the Spirit a three-point lead, 8-5. Three-straight OUAZ attacking errors tied the set up at eight, before two consecutive Spirit points restored the home side's advantage. Bates cut TMU's deficit in half with a kill, but OUAZ answered back with the final five points of the set to win the match.
"On the whole, we kept our errors low and played a clean game," Goldberg said. "The big difference tonight was that we lost the serving and passing battle."
Brandon Botdorf led the Mustangs' offense with 17 kills, while
Brett Norkus and Bates pitched in with 10 and eight respectively.
Defensively, Herb set career-highs with 10 digs and six total blocks to pace TMU.
Ezra Moore orchestrated the offense with his 42 assists.
Master's (2-6 overall, 2-4 GSAC) returns home to The MacArthur Center next weekend to take on OUAZ (10-3, 6-0) and Arizona Christian (1-5, 1-5) on March 19 and 20.
Interested in playing for TMU? Email head coach Jared Goldberg at: jgoldberg@masters.edu.
