The Master's University men's indoor volleyball team is continuing to take shape under first-year head coach
Jared Goldberg. TMU's improvement showed in a four-set victory over Arizona Christian on Friday night inside The MacArthur Center, as the Mustangs won the Golden State Athletic Conference match by set scores of 25-21, 25-22, 23-25 and 25-22.
"We are continuing to improve and are getting closer to putting a complete match together," Goldberg said. "Each of the last four matches we have had one set where we didn't compete very well. Although we lost that third set tonight, we competed all the way through the match."
The first set was filled with 3-0 and 4-0 runs by both teams, until three-straight points from Master's, punctuated by an
Ezra Moore service ace, helped the Mustangs gain back control of the set. Up 23-21, Moore and
Brett Norkus combined for a block before Norkus teamed up with
Ben Herb to stuff the Firestorm once again and help TMU claim the first set.
The second set went the Mustangs' way as well, with Master's jumping out to a sizable 13-7 lead. A
Brandon Botdorf kill put the Mustangs up 20-13, but the Firestorm scored four-straight points to get to within three.
TMU then put ACU on the brink, going ahead 24-19, but the visitors stayed alive with three-straight points, prompting Goldberg to call a timeout. The delay in action had the desired effect, as a Firestorm service error gave the Mustangs a two-set-to-none advantage.
ACU looked to be running away with the third set up 19-15, but a 5-0 run helped the Mustangs take the lead, 23-21. With a sweep looking likely, the Firestorm rallied off four-consecutive points to force a fourth set.
With Master's ahead 16-15 in the fourth, a
Wyatt Bates kill sparked a 3-0 run that gave the Mustangs a commanding four-point lead late in the set. Bates then sealed the deal with another kill, ensuring that a fifth set would not be needed.
"We have been talking as a team about finishing games and tonight we did that much better," Goldberg said.
Herb and Bates led Master's with 12 and 11 kills respectively. Moore orchestrated the offense with his 18 assists, while also serving four aces to lead all players. Norkus' seven blocks were the most by any player, while Herb and Botdorf recorded eight digs apiece to pace the Mustangs defensively.
On Saturday, Master's (2-3 overall, 2-1 GSAC) will host 12th-ranked Ottawa University Arizona (7-3, 3-0), looking to avenge its Feb. 20 loss against OUAZ in Surprise, Arizona. In that match, TMU won the first set before the Spirit took the final three.
