OUAZ Sweeps Hope International to Advance to GSAC Championship

SURPRISE, Ariz. – Second-seeded OUAZ (21-6) defeated third-seeded Hope International (12-13) in straight sets (25-22, 28-26, 25-18) on Wednesday evening at Faith Arena to advance to the 2026 GSAC Women's Volleyball Tournament championship match. The Spirit overcame deficits in all three sets, including fighting off three set points in the second.

Hope International took an 8-5 opening-set lead on an Olivia Samaniego kill before three consecutive Royals attack errors helped OUAZ move ahead 10-9. Hannah Allman served during a three-point run that forced a Hope International timeout at 17-13 and later delivered a kill for a 23-16 advantage. The Royals answered with six consecutive points, including two Manaia Mamea service aces and a Sabrina Galassi kill assisted by Mamea. Bella Reach stopped the rally with a kill off a Norma Ramirez-Barba assist, and a setting error by Rita Nua gave OUAZ the opening set.

Keira Adrian supplied two kills during OUAZ's 4-0 start to the second set, and a Myra Memon service ace extended the lead to 14-8. Hope International rallied, moving ahead 21-18 when Manaia Mamea and Samaniego combined for a block to complete a five-point run. Genevieve Kertz's kill gave the Royals a 24-22 lead, but Adrian and Gloria Moye combined for a block before Memon tied the score with an ace. Delaney Wilson saved a third set point with a kill assisted by Isabella Foutz to make it 25-25. Adrian's next kill put OUAZ ahead, and she later closed out the 28-26 victory with a service ace.

A Manaia Mamea kill helped Hope International build a 10-6 lead in the third set before OUAZ won five consecutive rallies, capped by an Adrian kill. The Royals remained within striking distance and forced an OUAZ timeout after an attack error narrowed the margin to 19-18. The Spirit responded by scoring the final six points. McKenna Diederich contributed two kills and teamed with Elisa Saunders for a block during that stretch, while Ramirez-Barba added an ace and served the final five points. Adrian finished the match with a kill assisted by Ramirez-Barba. The Spirit hit .389 in the final set, recording 17 kills against just three errors.

Adrian led OUAZ with nine kills and added eight digs, two assists, an ace and a block. Diederich finished with eight kills on .583 hitting and three blocks, while Moye produced seven kills without an attack error, hitting .636 with three blocks. Saunders contributed seven kills, five digs and three blocks.

Ramirez-Barba directed the offense with 22 assists, three digs and an ace, while Foutz supplied 11 assists, eight digs and an ace. Memon anchored the back row with a team-high 14 digs, three aces and three assists.

Manaia Mamea finished with 12 kills, three aces, six digs and a block for a match-high 15.5 points. Loleaulelei Mamea also recorded 12 kills, hitting .421 and adding four digs. Kertz contributed eight kills on .500 hitting and a solo block. Nua dished out a match-high 35 assists and added three digs and a block, while Kaylani Moncada collected a match-high 18 digs and one assist. Galassi and Samaniego added six kills apiece, with Galassi also serving two aces.

OUAZ finished with 42 kills and 13 attack errors for a .284 hitting percentage, compared with Hope International's 44 kills and 23 errors on .183 hitting. The Spirit held advantages of 7-5 in service aces and 6-3 in total team blocks, while both teams collected 44 digs.

OUAZ advances to Saturday's GSAC championship match, where the Spirit will face the winner of the semifinal between top-seeded The Master's and fourth-seeded La Sierra.