AWC volleyball comes together against Scottsdale

Six straight losses at this time of the volleyball season might break some teams.

The Arizona Western College Matadors aren't one of those teams.

Instead coach Karen Sitkiewicz' battered and bruised squad put it behind them and put together what she called one of their best all-around efforts of the season.

Tuesday's 25-23, 25-20, 20-25, 27-25 conference victory over visiting Scottsdale Community College kept the Matadors (13-16, 8-6 Arizona Community College Athletic Conference) in the hunt for the top seed in the Region I playoffs.

"This was one of those nights where we played really well as a team," Sitkiewicz. "I'm very proud of them for fighting back and not giving up. What we preach to them is to just get that one point - nothing matters but the point that is going on right now. And I think that is what they did. They didn't worry about the score."

After extending the match to a fourth game, Scottsdale (21-7, 8-6 ACCAC) was poised to force a deciding fifth game, leading 24-22 with the ball in hand. AWC trailed nearly the entire game.

But the Matadors, like they had all night, found a way to keep the ball alive and put the pressure back on the Artichokes.

Sophomore setter Kimee Clark caught the Artichokes' defense napping with a tip to make it 24-23.

Then freshman Kristin Loveland tied it with a perfectly placed set just over the Scottsdale block but in front of and out of the reach of the backrow.

Luci Toazzi and Maggie Zamudio (Yuma High) stuffed the conference's leading hitter Haylee Thompson to put the Matadors up 26-25.

Fernanda Costa ended it with a blast off the block.

With Scottsdale keying on NJCAA Preseason All-American outside hitter Toazzi, Costa gave the Matadors a boost, finishing with 13 kills, including six in the second game.

Showing no signs of a shoulder injury that sidelined for some of the action over the weekend, Toazzi led with a game-high 21 kills, including five in the final game.

"My shoulder is killing me but I am alright since we got the win," Toazzi said. "That final game was so much fun. We just believed it. We just have to keep winning and keep believing."

AWC trailed Eastern Arizona by 2 1/2 half games coming into Tuesday's matchup. The Matadors have three ACCAC games remaining on the schedule.

More importantly than catching Eastern, the 3-1 victory over the Fighting Artichokes at the very least maintained the slim 1 1/2 game cushion between the Matadors and hard-charging Yavapai for the second playoff spot from Region I.

AWC travels to Yavapai on Saturday.

"We are in a tight race and we need to get wins," Sitkiewicz said. "And I think this gives us some good momentum heading into Saturday when we play Yavapai. We are the masters of our own destiny right now."

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Brian Williams can be reached at
bwilliams@yumasun.com or 538-6880.