Volleyball sweeps Roughriders 3-0 in return home

YUMA, Ariz. – The Arizona Western Matadors Volleyball team (9-4, 2-0) pushed its winning streak to six matches with a 3-0 win over Yavapai (4-5, 1-2) in its first home conference match of the season on Wednesday evening at the House Gymnasium.

Natalia Valencia-Gamboa led the Matadors with 10 kills while Nehir Erimez paced the team with 20 assists in the win.

After Yavapai took an early lead in the first set, the Matadors took control, building a 16-11 lead after back-to-back aces from Brooke Loo and eventually put away the Roughriders in the opening set on a Gabriela Martensson kill, winning the set 25-20.

Just like in the first set, Yavapai grabbed an early lead again, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the second set and led midway through the set at 14-13. The Matadors grabbed a lead on a block from Esther Asiedu and Nehir Erimez to put the Matadors up 16-15. Arizona Western took the second set 25-22 on a kill by Larrynn Joseph-Rodrigues.

Arizona Western faced its biggest deficit of the match in the third set, trailing 8-2 before taking a timeout. Out of the timeout, the Matadors scored six of the next eight points and eventually tied the set at 15-15 thanks to a Yavapai service error before taking the lead on a Ma'o Lauhingoa kill. The Matadors pulled away to take the final set 25-18, winning the match in straight sets.

As a team, the Matadors put together a .351 hitting percentage and had seven blocks in the win. Defensively, both Erimez and Joseph-Rodrigues led the way with seven digs.

Arizona Western is back on the court on Friday, September 20, taking on Eastern Arizona at 7:00 pm in Thatcher, Ariz. in an ACCAC matchup.