THATCHER, Ariz. -- With its playoff fate hanging in the balance, the Yavapai College volleyball team delivered a clutch sweep in its Wednesday night tilt against the Eastern Arizona Gila Monsters. 

"Tonight was a complete team win," Head Coach Zachary Shaver said. "Everyone contributed and our players did well handling the pressure of their enthusiastic crowd. It was a hard fought win that we are all proud of!"

With the Roughriders second sweep of the season over region foe Eastern Arizona, their record is now 13-12 and 7-5 in the ACCAC. 

Right from the start, it was apparent that freshman outside hitters Kierslynn Wright and Sophia Parlanti were going to give the Gila Monsters trouble. 

The duo shined in set one as they sent every volleyball set their way to the gym floor and helped Yavapai build a 19-12 lead. 

After a rally from Eastern Arizona, Parlanti tallied a crucial kill to go up 22-19. The Roughriders never looked back and after an ace from sophomore middle blocker Paiten Langston, they finished off the set with a 25-19 victory. 

Set two went back-and-forth to start with the teams being tied at 11-11 at one point. The Gila Monsters, however, surged ahead of Yavapai and found themselves with a 21-17 lead and just four points away from tying the match score. 

That's when freshman outside hitter Kate Allan took over service duties for the Roughriders and Yavapai started to mount its comeback, led by some incredibly strong blocking at the net. 

Yavapai scored seven-consecutive points, aided by three blocks in a four-point span from Parlanti, sophomore middle blocker Keyaira Gravitt and sophomore right hitter Samantha Holman, to go up 24-21 and eventually won the set 25-22 after a kill from Wright. 

Up 2-0 in sets, Yavapai started set three down 8-5, took a timeout and rallied to find themselves with an 18-14 lead. The Gila Monsters, however, would not go away easily and fought back from a 24-22 deficit to tie the match at 24 all. 

The Roughriders then found themselves in danger of heading to a fourth set as they trailed three separate times following the tie at 25-24, 26-25 and 27-26. A kill from Wright, an incredible team rally and a service error from the Gila Monsters kept Yavapai alive. 

Langston, doing her best to end the madness, gave the Roughriders the advantage with a kill for a 28-27 score and then again for a 29-28 score. This time, Yavapai notched the winning point and earned the 30-28 set-three win and match sweep. 

Up Next
The last regular-season match of the year for the Roughriders takes place Friday in Prescott inside of Walraven Gymnasium at 7 p.m. when the Roughriders will face off against the Arizona Western College Matadors.