NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The College of Southern Nevada women's volleyball team battled through two tightly contested sets Saturday afternoon, but Central Arizona College emerged with a four-set victory, 25-10, 20-25, 27-25, 26-24, at the Coyote Event Center in ACCAC action.
After dropping the opening set, the Lady Coyotes responded with a convincing second-set victory and pushed the Vaqueras beyond regulation in each of the final two frames. Central Arizona, however, prevailed in both close sets to earn a weekend split after Southern Nevada claimed Friday night's meeting.
The loss dropped CSN to 11-10 overall and 5-4 in ACCAC play, while Central Arizona improved to 6-18 overall and 2-7 in conference competition.
The Vaqueras wasted little time establishing control, hitting .357 in the opening set while limiting Southern Nevada to just four kills and a negative .143 hitting percentage. Central Arizona cruised to a 25-10 victory, putting the Lady Coyotes in an early hole.
Southern Nevada responded in the second, finding its offensive rhythm and taking advantage of Central Arizona's struggles at the net. The Lady Coyotes recorded 10 kills while hitting .231, holding the Vaqueras to a negative .071 hitting percentage to claim a 25-20 victory and even the match.
The third set proved to be one of the afternoon's turning points. Both teams battled through a competitive frame, with Central Arizona recording 13 kills and hitting .242. Southern Nevada countered with 12 kills, but the Vaqueras edged the Lady Coyotes 27-25 to take a two-set-to-one advantage.
Facing elimination, CSN continued to fight in the fourth. The Lady Coyotes kept pace with Central Arizona throughout another tightly contested set, but the Vaqueras closed out the match with a 26-24 victory.
Tayla Singleton led Southern Nevada with nine kills and two service aces, while De'Lasia Grider delivered one of the Lady Coyotes' strongest all-around performances. Grider finished with eight kills on 19 attempts, hitting .316, and added a match-high six service aces to finish with 14.5 points.
Mia Scott contributed eight kills and a service ace, while Briley Fawson added six kills and two block assists. Paige Gates also contributed three block assists as Southern Nevada totaled eight block assists in the contest.
Setter Libbie Ferreiro directed the offense with 23 assists while adding five digs and two service aces. Madison Ortiz contributed six assists, while Kody Wengler anchored the defense with a team-high 17 digs.
Isabella Liugalua added eight digs, while Chasia Hoapili finished with six as the Lady Coyotes collected 48 digs in the match.
Central Arizona was led by Elisa Stella, who recorded a match-high 15 kills and 13 digs. Anna Mia Stolarova added 12 kills and 18 digs, while Nora Budai contributed nine kills on 15 attempts for a .467 hitting percentage.
The Vaqueras finished with 48 kills and a .215 hitting percentage compared with 37 kills and a .105 mark for Southern Nevada. Both teams applied pressure from the service line, with CSN recording 11 aces and Central Arizona finishing with 10.
Saturday's contest also served as a special occasion for the Lady Coyote volleyball program, as CSN Athletics honored its sophomore student-athletes following the match in recognition of their dedication and contributions to Southern Nevada volleyball.
Despite the setback, the Lady Coyotes closed the weekend with a split against Central Arizona and remain above .500 in ACCAC competition as the conference schedule continues.
