Lady Matadors beat Roughriders 3-2 winning 10th in a row

PRESCOTT, Ariz. – The Arizona Western College Lady Matadors (12-9, 10-2) fought back from a 2-1 deficit to win their 10th consecutive match, beating Yavapai (4-16, 2-10) 3-2 on Friday evening at Walraven Gymnasium.

Amanda Juliao and Evelyn Trivino each had 14 kills as the Lady Matadors secured home-court advantage in the Region I championship game with the win over the Roughriders.

Yavapai jumped out to an early lead, scoring the first three points of the first set before Patrycja Rykala stopped the run with a kill. Yavapai opened up an 8-2 lead before the Lady Matadors were forced to take a timeout. Arizona Western cut the deficit to three at 9-6 but Yavapai responded with a 5-0 run to push the lead to 14-8. Arizona Western didn't get any closer, dropping the opener 25-14.

Just like in the first set, the Roughriders took the lead early, taking a 4-1 advantage before the Lady Matadors went on a 4-1 run thanks to three Trivino kills to tie the set at 5-5. The Lady Matadors took a 12-11 lead on a Kaylani Reis ace, helping to build a 16-12 lead with a 5-1 run. Arizona Western took the second set 25-21 on a Rykala kill to even the match at 1-1.

After falling behind 3-0 in the third set, Amanda Juliao recorded the first Lady Matadors' point of the set with a kill off an assist from Natalia Slazynska. Yavapai went on a 5-0 run to force an Arizona Western timeout with the Lady Matadors trailing 8-1. Arizona Western went on a 5-0 run to cut the Yavapai lead to 11-9 following a Trivino ace. Arizona Western took the lead on a Lara Erdmann kill at 16-15. Yavapai took the lead back and took the third set with a 25-21 win.

For the first time in the match, the Lady Matadors scored the first point of a set and raced out to a 2-0 lead, and stretched the advantage to 5-2. Yavapai slowly climbed back to take the lead at 20-17 but the Lady Matadors went on a 4-0 run and took a 21-20 lead on a Slazynska ace. Arizona Western forced a fifth set with a 25-23 win.

Arizona Western scored five of the first seven points in the fifth set and eventually took a 7-2 lead before Yavapai cut the lead to two at 10-8. Yavapai had a chance to close out the match three times after eventually taking the lead but the Lady Matadors fought back, taking the final set 19-17.

Salzynska led the Lady Matadors with 46 assists while Trivino recorded 11 digs, tying a career-high. Rykala finished with 10 kills, one of three Lady Matadors in double-figures in kills.

The Lady Matadors will finish the regular season on the road, heading to Thatcher, Ariz. for a third and final regular season meeting with Eastern Arizona in a Region I championship game preview on Saturday at 2:00 pm.