GLENDALE, Ariz. -- It's not about how you start, it's about how you finish. That saying rang true for the Yavapai College volleyball team Wednesday night as it dropped its first two sets against the No. 18-ranked Glendale Community College Gauchos, before storming all the way back and winning sets three, four and five to complete the comeback victory on the road.  

"I am really proud of the determination and grit that our team showed tonight," Head Coach Zachary Shaver said. "We still played inconsistent at times but earning a win on the road after being down 2-0 is an outstanding accomplishment." 

On the season, the Roughriders now sit at 6-7 overall and 1-0 in ACCAC play. 

The aforementioned first two sets were neck-and-neck but ultimately went to the Gauchos by scores of 25-23 and 25-22. 

After the losses, the Roughriders dominated sets three and four with ferocious kills and solid defensive blocking, never allowing Glendale to even get started. 

In set three, the Roughriders led 16-10 after a Gaucho timeout, before ballooning its advantage to 21-12, ultimately taking the set by a score of 25-17. 

Set four saw Yavapai consistently ahead by a wide margin with scores of 9-5, 13-6, 18-9 and ultimately 25-12, setting up a winner-take-all fifth set.

Set five was a microcosm of the game itself for the Roughriders as they trailed 10-6 heading into a timeout. Yavapai then scored five of the next seven points to bring the score to 12-11. 

That's when freshman outside hitter Kierslynn Wright sent a perfectly placed ball between two Gaucho defenders and just inside the out line to tie up the score at 12's. 

After a Yavapai block, ferocious kill by sophomore middle blocker Paiten Langston and a Glendale point, the Roughriders led 14-13 and sat just one point away from victory. 

After a Yavapai dig and set off the Glendale serve, freshman outside hitter Sophia Parlanti hit a perfectly placed ball in the middle of the Glendale defense and saw it hit the gym floor to finish off the fifth set, capping off the remarkable comeback. 

Wright and Parlanti led the team in kills with 18 and 14, respectively, while sophomore setter Natalie Horsley led in assists with 33. Horsley also led in digs with 21 while Langston led in blocks with seven. 

Up Next
The Roughriders are back in action Friday at 7 p.m. in Thatcher, Arizona, for a matchup against Eastern Arizona.