PHOENIX, Ariz. – To open the fourth season in program history, the Lions traveled to the Valley of the Sun to square off against two GSAC opponents. Vanguard won 4-1 over Arizona Christian University (1-1) and upset Ottawa University – Arizona (1-1) by a 3-2 score.
What Happened? In the first matchup of the day, Conley Harris (JR/Brea, CA) and Natalie Escher (JR/Redlands, CA) won 21-16,21-15 on Court One. Similarly, Kayla Tinker (SR/San Clemente, CA) and Carly McKinney (SR/Mission Viejo, CA) also won in 2-0 fashion. Emilee Hall (SO/Redondo Beach, CA) and Sydney Irwin (SO/Moorpark, CA) were bested in close 19-21,16-21 counts. Vashti Elias Romero (SO/Redlands, CA) and Allyson Scherrer were pushed to three sets but ultimately walked away with the win. The fifth pair of Mackenzie Mitchell (SR/Costa Mesa, CA) and Kenzie Bouse (SR/Willard, MO) were awarded a walkover victory.
Mitchell and Bouse were defeated in straight sets as the fifth seeds squared off. Tinker and McKinney were bested in three sets, winning the middle 21-17. Down 2-0 in pairings, the Lions went on to win all three in succession to capture the upset win. After dropping the first set, Elias Romero and Scherrer won 21-19, 15-13 to keep the Lions alive. Harris and Escher won the first set 21-15, fell by two in the next, and held on for a 15-11 victory in the decisive set which tied the contest. It all came down to Hall and Irwin who won a tightly contested contest.
Why Its Important? The Blue and Gold entered the contests riding a nine-game winning streak which dated back to last March – prior to the suspension of the 2019 season. This win moved the Lions to 3-0 all-time against the Firestorm and 8-4 against conference opponents in program history. Today marks the first time in four attempts that the Pride has defeated the Spirit.
Top Performers: Top seeded duo Harris and Escher won both of their matches today, as well as Hall and Irwin did on Court Three. In her career, Harris is now 7-6 for the Pride, while Irwin and Hall are both now 8-6 overall. Today was the first time Escher, McKinney, Elias Romero, and Scherrer suited up for Vanguard.
What They Said: Head Coach Kris Dorn – "We are so pumped to finally compete. This was an excellent first challenge, and we made a lot of in-match adjustments. The sand is much shallower here than in Huntington Beach so we're looking forward to being more assertive in our next battle. It was amazing to have the outcome of the match be decided in the last pairing. Loved seeing our ladies fight through their first experience! OUAZ is/are a great team & we always want to rise to the occasion. Overall, we are thrilled with not only the outcome... but more importantly that we put ourselves in positions to win."
What's Next? Saturday, February 20th at The Master's University at 10:00 a.m. followed by Hope International at 11:30 a.m.
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