T-Birds volleyball snap two game win streak
Rene Gomez
The Mesa T-Birds women’s volleyball team suffered a 3-0 loss to the Phoenix College Bears on Oct. 11 at Theo J. Heap Gymnasium.
The T-Birds are in ninth place in the conference, and have an overall record at 5-13 with a conference record of 3-10.
The loss also snaps a two game winning streak for the T-Birds, and regular season play is nearly over.
Phoenix, currently in seventh place, came into the match with a 12-11 overall record and a 6-6 conference record.
In the previous match between these teams on Sept. 11, Phoenix prevailed not allowing the T-Birds to even win a set.
The first set into this match looked as if Mesa put that loss behind them when the T-Birds took a 7-3 lead from rallies that ended with kills by sophomores Lindsay Logan, Ashlie Mills, and Ryanne Willis.
Coming back from a Bears timeout at 9-3, the T-Birds maintained their lead until the Bears were able to tie it up at 18 causing the T-Birds to try to regroup with a timeout of their own.
Phoenix built up too much momentum though, and only allowed Mesa to score one point to finish the set 25-19.
The second set started off with the T-Birds rolling to an early lead 6-3, but the Bears found a way to tie it up at 6-6 shortly afterwards.
Both teams would trade points until Phoenix built a 17-14 lead forcing a T-Bird timeout.
The Bears continued to build their lead eventually earning their biggest lead against the T-Birds during the set 22-16.
After another Mesa timeout and their backs against the wall, the T-Birds were able to chip away at the scoring deficit 24-21, but the Bears shut the door on Mesa taking the second set 25-21.
The T-Birds did have a 7-4 lead in the beginning of the third set, but four Mesa errors gave the lead to Phoenix 8-7.
A lot of back and forth scoring ensued, but the Bears did give themselves a cushion 15-12 before Mesa took a timeout.
The T-Birds found themselves down by four points before recovering to tie it at 17, but the Bears went on another run for three consecutive points making it 20-17.
Mesa got close again after two Bears’ errors, but Phoenix made those up and forced another T-Bird, timeout at 22-19.
The T-Birds effort could only get them as close as 24-21 before the Bears closed it out with one last kill to win the third and decisive set 25-21.
Mills led all T-Birds with 12 kills, while Logan added 10. Mills also led the team with 20 total attacks, and Logan had 19.
Sophomore Natalie Elkins contributed to 27 of the team’s 30 assists.
Logan and freshman Lexi Noriega both had seven digs, and freshman Shelby Murphy added six.
The T-Birds next match is away versus the Chandler-Gilbert Coyotes Nov. 1 at 7 p.m.
