CHANDLER, Ariz. - Sabrina Garces hit .556 with six kills and six blocks and Jenifer Lauer had a double-double with 10 digs and 23 assists, as Park University Gilbert used four sets to win the first-ever match with East Valley rival Benedictine University at Mesa (25-17, 22-25, 25-23, 25-22) at the Coyote Center in Chandler, Arizona.
Autumn Wood was Park's lone double-digit performer on offense, with 17 kills, followed by nine from Asha Harris, eight from Kayla Wieserman, and seven kills for Kendra Zuckerman, as the Buccaneers improved to 4-2 on the 2019 season. The loss dropped BenU to 3-4, and the Buccaneers held the Redhawks without a double-digit kills total.
Mackenzie Seitz had a match-high 25 digs for the Bucs, while Bella Valdez also got in on a double-digit setting night for Park U Gilbert with 19 assists. Benedictine also used two setters, led by Annabelle Somoza, who had 21 assists and 10 digs.
The Buccaneers raced out in front to begin the match, up 7-2 before Benedictine's first timeout. The Redhawks cut the lead to one, but Park again pulled away, going in front 19-14 on a kill by Harris, followed by a timeout and then an ace for Garces to make it 20-14. Wood put the set away and gave Park a 1-0 lead on a kill from Valdez to sew up the 25-17 win.
Benedictine answered by leading wire-to-wire in the second on the way to a 25-22 equalizer, but the Buccaneers returned the favor by never trailing in the third, going up 14-8 on Wood's kill from Lauer and 24-17 on Claire Fisher's lone kill of the match. Benedictine did battle back, getting to within one, 24-23, but Wieserman stopped the run from the middle of the floor with a kill to win 25-23.
The Buccaneers were able to lock up the win in the fourth, building a 6-1 lead right away, as Garces and Harris blocked Somoza, leading the entire way after the set-opening run that featured Lauer at the service line.
Park's reserves also played BenU Tuesday night, falling 25-22, 25-16 in a best of three for the reserve squads from the two schools. Tuesday's win for the varsity was the first of six matches this week, including two Friday at Arizona Christian University against Dakota State University (S.D.) and Montana State University-Northern at 3 and 5 p.m. Wednesday, the reserves travel to Mesa Community College, at 7 p.m.
