Box Score The Master's women's volleyball team lost a 5-set match to the OUAZ Spirit Friday night 18-25, 26-24, 25-20, 17-25, 13-15 in Surprise, Ariz.
The Spirit finished with more kills (63-54), a higher hitting percentage (.246 to .174) , more blocks (9-6) and more aces (10-9).
The loss is just the second in conference for the Lady Mustangs (14-6, 8-2), and momentarily knocks the team out of first place by half-a-game behind Benedictine Mesa.
"OUAZ fought hard," said TMU Head Coach Annett Davis. "We battled but just came up short. I'm proud of the girls for sticking together through adversity."
TMU fell behind early in the first set and could never gain the momentum. A Kinsley Kollman service ace brought the team to within one at 13-12, but the Spirit methodically pulled away by one point, then two, before getting six of the final seven points to win by eight.
The second set began to look like the first, with OUAZ pulling away to lead 20-15. That's when The Master's went on an 8-1 run to take the lead 23-21. The Spirit scored the next three points to take it to set point 24-23, but an OUAZ service error followed by two
Ruby Duncan kills sealed the set for TMU 26-24.
The third set was dominated by the Lady Mustangs, opening up a 10-4 lead. The Spirit fought back on a 7-2 run to get to within a point, but The Master's finished out the set on a 13-8 difference to win by five and take hold of the momentum.
But the Spirit would have none of it, grabbing the first four points of the fourth set. And while TMU got to within one point in the middle of the set, OUAZ pulled away to win the set by eight and force a decisive fifth set.
The Master's jumped out to a 5-3 lead in that fifth set, only to see OUAZ come back with four points in a row to go up by two. TMU then scored four of the next five points to go up by one. Then it was tied at 9-9, 11-11 and 12-12, before OUAZ scored three of the final four points to decided this epic battle in the favor of the Spirit.
Duncan led the Lady Mustangs with a career-high 25 kills, followed by Kollman's 12 and Bella Amet's 11.
Timberlie Miller, last week's GSAC Setter of the Week for the fourth time this season, finished with 43 assists.
Andrea Barrera led the team with four blocks and
Sierra Hale had 19 digs.
The Master's have a short rest before they take on the Arizona Christian Firestorm Saturday in Glendfale, Ariz. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m.
