You know what they say, "Save the best for last." The same can be said about this particular matchup between the Yavapai College Roughriders and the Glendale Community College Gauchos, who faced off in an intense and evenly-matched battle as the very last game of the Yavapai College Volleyball Invitational. These two teams fought hard up until the very end, where the victor would end up being the Roughriders, winning 3-2.

In the beginning, Glendale would start off hot with a 6-2 run, which would be cut short by a left-handed spike from #4 Emily Hogg. Glendale's defense would remain as a constant throughout the future matchups, but this game was determined by Hogg and #3 Micah Gardner getting up there and building walls that no one would dare conquer. As well as great defensive efforts, Yavapai had many scoring plays from #15 Tiona Drumm and #11 Hannah West, but in this particular matchup, the Gauchos held down the fort, and even with back to back Drumm spikes, the Gauchos would win this matchup 25-16.

A key factor of the games between these two teams had to be which side of the court each team had been playing on. This second match involved the Roughriders being very close to the stands, which included many faithful YC fans, as well as a great showing from the Yavapai College Men's Basketball team. They definitely had made their presence known, as whenever Drumm and #8 Hannah Pereira would block the Gaucho's spikes, the crowd would erupt into cheers and applause, fueling the very-close-by volleyball squadron, and lighting a fire under their very shoes. The crowd helped hype up big offensive plays from the likes of Drumm, Gardner, and #16 Trinity Pilimai, but the stands were also filled with Glendale fans, who helped cheer on their fellow away team to a 5-1 comeback run. However, Glendale forgot about Tiona Drumm and Hanna Pereira, who would make massive plays to extend their lead further. With the help of Pilimai spikes flying wildly into the flustered arms of opposing players, and with a #17 Makaya Moody serve that would become an immediate ace, YC would win their first match at 25-17.

All tied up, Yavapai fired up. The scoring would reach a new height in match 3. Big early spikes from Drumm, West, and Gardner would help set the mood for the team. A short 5-2 Glendale run would dampened spirits for a moment, but Tiona Drumm would make some tricky and sneaky plays to confuse the visiting Gauchos. However, this matchup was like climbing up a steep hill, as YC could not break through Glendale's 5 point lead. That is, until Pereira and Drumm started to host their very own "block party." The help of these defensive maneuvers would lead a comeback drive, and once Pilimai started to smack the ball into opponent territory, the game was tied. Pilimai would also help bring the Roughriders up two to finish the match, and Yavapai would win their second match in a row, 26-24.

Match 4 needed to be a Yavapai win to help win a game that was slowly turning into a warzone. But the thing with war is that not every battle can be won. Even with Drumm striking first and #13 Ciara Yearby and #6 Teodora Bulatovic digging deep to help save the ball from touching the ground, there are still cracks in the foundation where weakness can seep through. #12 Lindsey Geisel was on the sides, hyping up and cheering for her teammates, but this did not prevent future shortcomings. Miscommunications between the players would lead to Glendale taking advantage and keeping Yavapai from breaking a lead of more than 2 points. From the sideline, Coach Chelsey Lucas would tell the girls "Don't be heroes." Trinity Pilimai did not heed this advice, and began to use her might and her lift to kill, kill, kill. She was on fire this match, and her mood helped her teammates match her intensity. Pereira got some massive spikes, and #10 Jocelyn Tavares was even able to get a tricky score there at one point. But even with Pilimai taking charge and having the team work as a well-oiled machine, Glendale outfought them, and the Gauchos would win this match 27-25.

Back to square one, and everyone was locked in. This game took the tired players and pushed them to their limits. Match 5 began with Hannah Pereira making massive blocks to help give her team an initial edge, but it would not be enough to distract from the clear fatigue and lack of communication. When the teams had to switch sides, the home team was down by 4 points, a devastating deficit for a final match score. Down 4-8, Pereira and Drumm had back to back kills, and another "Drummified" classic kill would help YC go on a 5-1 run to tie the game at 9. A Pereira ace serve. Yet another Drumm spike. With every good thing to happen to the Roughriders, the crowd would get more and more fired up. Gauchos were fighting hard and keeping the score even, because with great offense sometimes comes even better defense. And finally, when tied 14-all, Pilimai had two massive game-winning spikes to send the Gauchos back to Glendale. The Yavapai College Roughriders would win this last match 16-14, and would win the game 3-2.