OUAZ sweeps Benedictine Mesa to reach GSAC men’s volleyball championship match

SURPRISE, Ariz. - Second-seeded OUAZ advanced to the GSAC Men’s Volleyball Championship match Monday night, defeating third-seeded Benedictine Mesa in straight sets, 25-17, 25-18, 26-24, at Faith Arena.

The Spirit improved to 19-4 by controlling most of the semifinal with a balanced attack, efficient setting and consistent service pressure. OUAZ hit .369 as a team and finished with 41 kills, while Benedictine Mesa totaled 29 kills and hit .230. The Redhawks were at their best in the third set and pushed the match past 25 points, but OUAZ steadied itself late to complete the sweep.

OUAZ established the tone early in the opening set. The Spirit hit .333 in the first set, producing 11 kills with just two errors on 27 swings, while Benedictine Mesa hit .087 with eight kills and six errors. OUAZ created separation through the middle stretch of the set, limiting long rallies and converting transition chances to take the early lead in the match.

The second set was OUAZ’s sharpest stretch. The Spirit hit .480 with 14 kills and only two errors on 25 attempts, and their serving increasingly disrupted Benedictine Mesa’s offense. OUAZ finished with eight service aces, including four from Horatio Maumasi, whose pressure from the line helped force the Redhawks out of system and fueled scoring runs.

Benedictine Mesa responded in the third set with its strongest offensive showing of the night. The Redhawks hit .429 with 13 kills and one error on 28 swings, staying within reach during a set that featured 10 ties and three lead changes. Ethan Russell led Benedictine Mesa with 10 kills, Joseph Washington added six, and Travis Kelly had five kills while hitting .500. But with the set extended and the margin tight, OUAZ sided out effectively and closed on the final points for a 26-24 finish.

Jack Hubbard led OUAZ with a match-high 13 kills on a .417 hitting percentage, and the Spirit’s depth showed throughout the night. Jackson Blair added eight kills on .438 hitting, Treven Clizbe had seven kills, and Maumasi recorded six kills on just seven swings for a .714 percentage to go with his four aces. Setter Madduxx Goron directed the offense with 39 assists, distributing the ball across a lineup that had five players finish with at least six kills.

OUAZ also held a modest edge defensively, finishing with 27 digs to Benedictine Mesa’s 21 and posting five total team blocks compared with 3.5 for the Redhawks. Caeden Salemen led the Spirit with seven digs, while Goron and Thomas Plaskett added five apiece. Blake Ross paced Benedictine Mesa with five digs. The win sends OUAZ into the conference title match with the same formula that carried it through the semifinal, depth across the attack and enough control in the biggest moments to finish a close third set.