PRESCOTT, Ariz. -- Head Coach Zachary Shaver earned his 150th victory at the helm of the Yavapai College volleyball program Friday night as he watched his squad sweep the Eastern Arizona Gila Monsters. 

The victory avenges an earlier loss to Eastern Arizona and moves the Roughriders to 10-10 overall this season with a 4-3 mark in ACCAC play. 

"I am really proud of how hard our team has worked to improve, especially our passers," said Shaver after the victory. "Their consistent passing against a tough serving opponent gave everyone confidence to swing aggressively and score more points."

Set one did not start well for the Roughriders as Eastern Arizona jumped out to a 9-3 lead. Yavapai, however, started to rally and after a kill attempt couldn't be handled by the Gila Monsters, freshman outside hitter Kierslynn Wright registered a huge kill to tie the set at 11. 

Tied 14-14, Wright put Yavapai ahead with a dig and kill combo, one the Gila Monsters found no answer for all night. After an Eastern Arizona timeout with the Roughriders leading 19-16, sophomore setter Natalie Horsley served up an ace to give Yavapai a commanding 20-16 lead. After the ace, the Roughriders coasted to a set-one victory with the final score being 25-21. 

Set two started much differently than the first with both teams playing very evenly and the score being tied at 11, 12, 13 and 14. With a narrow 15-14 lead, sophomore libero Brooklyn Holland made an incredible dig on a high-velocity kill attempt from Eastern Arizona and saw Wright finish the play off with a ferocious kill to go up 16-14. 

With a narrow two-point lead, the Roughriders received several clutch plays to keep the lead. Freshman middle blocker Jada Schultz showed some perfect ball placement on a kill to go up 20-18 and later followed with a nice block to go up 22-19. 

Up 22-21, sophomore right hitter Samantha Holman brought the house down with a big kill to go up by two and later saw freshman outside hitter Sophia Parlanti finish the set off with a kill, bringing the final score to 25-22. 

Needing just one more set for the sweep, the Roughriders dominated for most of set three and jumped out to a 20-13 lead with more big plays from Wright, Holman and Parlanti. 

Desperate for a comeback, the Gila Monsters responded by taking five of the next six points and cut the Yavapai lead to just 21-18. 

After the rally, the aforementioned Wright took over and registered three kills in a row to give the Roughriders a 24-18 advantage. One point away, Yavapai cruised to a 25-20 set three victory and a Friday night sweep. 

Up Next
The Roughriders are back in action at home inside of Walraven Gymnasium Wednesday at 7 p.m. against the Mesa Community College Thunderbirds.