The Master's University men's volleyball team remained unbeaten after a four-set win over Park Gilbert on Friday at home in The MacArthur Center.
Trace Oswald led the way with 16 kills as TMU totaled eight blocks and 12 service aces.
The first set was won by The Master's in dominant fashion, by a score of 25-8. The Mustangs got out to an 11-1 lead thanks to a 5-0 and a 6-0 run out of the gate.
In the opening frame, TMU hit a ridiculous .619 with only two errors. They also held Park Gilbert to a -.250 hitting percentage, allowing only two kills.
"We had been struggling in a lot of matches this year starting off strong," TMU Head Coach
Jared Goldberg said. "I thought our starting group did a much better job in that aspect tonight in the first set."
The second set was a bit tighter, but TMU still pulled out the win. They used another 5-0 run to take control at 23-14, capped by a
Garrett Beall service ace. The Master's would win that second frame 25-16 and take control.
In that third set however, the momentum started to shift. After trailing for the entirety of the game, Park took the lead at 11-10, and improved their hitting percentage to .280 in that frame.
What followed would be a wild stretch of back-and-forth volleyball, with nine ties and 12 lead changes. TMU had match point, up 25-24, but Park rallied. They forced TMU into four errors and in the final five points, and would end up taking the third set, 28-26.
"Still a number of details to clean up as we come into the final stretch of the year," Coach Goldberg said. "But the most important thing at this point is just getting ready for our next match tomorrow against Benedictine Mesa."
The final set was also a close affair at the start. Park had the score tied at 6-6, but TMU started to put the pressure on from there. The Mustangs went on a 5-1 run, with the only point given up being a
Joseph Tran service error. That gave them a 14-9 lead, and they closed out their eighth win in as many tries in GSAC play.
Tran finished with 31 assists to lead the squad.
TMU will be back in action on Saturday afternoon against Benedictine Mesa University in The MacArthur Center.
