Last night's Yavapai College Volleyball matchup versus the visiting Central Arizona College proved to be an instant classic, where every match went down to the wire and the scoring was electric all throughout. The Vaqueras were no match for the Roughriders, however, as the home team would go on to win 3-1.
The first match had many defensive plays coming from both ends of the floor, especially early on from #11 Hannah West and #3 Micah Gardner. Although #6 Teodora Bulatovic would start off the game with an ace serve, CAC would go on a 4-0 run early in the match, as well as playing tough defense to keep YC in a deficit. However, the Roughriders know how to defend their home court, as back to back blocks from Gardner and #10 Jocelyn Tavares got Yavapai back into the game. Big spikes from #15 Tiona Drumm helped bring the score to a 12-12 tie, and with some added defensive help from #8 Hanna Pereira and #16 Trinity Pilimai, YC was able to eke out an 8-1 run to help win the first game, 25-19.
Match two would prove to be a little bit more difficult that anticipated, but that did not stop #13 Ciara Yearby to hype up her teammates as the libero. A Drumm kill led YC on a 5-0 run to start the match, as well as some further offense from the lights out Tiona Drumm, including an ace serve and a diving save that led to a spike. Further tips from #4 Emily Hogg and Pilimai would help increase the lead, but then the offense stagnated a tad, as CAC was able to catch up with an 8-1 run. As this match was going back and forth between the two teams, any and all plays were very important, so when Hogg stepped up and made a huge spike, Coach Chelsey Lucas became incredibly pleased. More blocks by Hogg and Gardner would help keep YC in the game, and even though Pilimai got up high to kill the ball and tie the game at 24, CAC would get ahead and win this matchup 27-25.
The visiting Vaqueras had momentum carried over into this third match after their win, and they would stretch their lead further until Trinity Pilimai came back to tie the game at 5-5. More defensive blocks from Tavares and Gardner would keep the game close, but Yavapai would start to pull ahead with back to back spikes from Tiona Drumm. Bulatovic set up another spike from Pilimai, Tavares got in there and set up her signature backwards "setting" trick play, and Drumm and Gardner would continue to make more massive blocks. As the match went on, the Roughriders' offense looked much more fluid, as with an ace by Emily Hogg, Yavapai would go on to win their second match of the night 25-19.
YC riding high, they knew they needed to win just one more to be able to go home. A Drumm kill right out of the gate set the much-needed uplifting tone for the rest of this match early on, but Central Arizona would go on a 5-1 run to open the match. Uphill sledding is a tall task, but back to back spikes from Emily Hogg and Micah Gardner tend to make things a bit easier. The Bulatovic to Hogg assisting connection felt strong in this match, as they were able to tie the match at 6 all. Hogg was on absolute FIRE this game, as she would send multiple balls into the opponent's empty ground, but CAC would not go away that easily. The visitors would pull ahead 10-16 before a frustrated Lucas would call a timeout, and then the Roughriders switched into second gear. Blocks from Hanna Pereira and Jocelyn Tavares helped YC pull off an 8-1 comeback run, and with clutch help from Drumm and Hogg lighting up the scoreboard, YC was back in the game. The crowd at this point is on their feet and the score is tied at 23-23. Yavapai just needs two more plays to send the Vaqueras back to Casa Grande, and those plays would come from Micah Gardner, who had a tendency late in this game to spike the ball as hard as possible into the opponent's side, calling "game" with a final score of 25-23. Yavapai College wins 3-1.
