The Park University Gilbert women's volleyball team finished its non-conference season with a flourish at the ACU Labor Day Festival with a 3-1 win against the University of Providence (1-8). With the win the Bucs, who are receiving votes in the latest NAIA poll move to 7-4 as they have now head into the conference season
The first set was a barn burner with the lead never more than a point until 15-all when the Argos went on a 3-0 run to force a time out. Then a 3-1 Argo run put their advantage at 21-16. The Bucs dug deep to play solid volleyball the remainder of the set as they finished on a 9-2 run behind two kills each from Maggie Scranton and Miranda Bacon. Both players had four kills to lead the team in the opening frame.
The Argos managed to turn the tables in the second set with a 25-20 win. The Buccaneers committed 11 attack errors which made all of the difference as UP only committed three errors and the set difference was only five on the scoreboard.
Set three saw Park Gilbert return to form as it won the set behind a clean performance with 12 kills and only three errors. Bacon and Mallory Turner each had three kills in the set. Hattie Patton was stellar on defense in the stanza with nine digs.
The fourth set saw the Bucs take a six-point lead at 17-11 and it looked as though they would cruise to the win, but a team with the pedigree of the Argos cut the deficit back to one at 18-17 to force a Park timeout. The Buccaneers then settled in to win seven of the last 12 points to take the set and the victory over a squad that was ranked No. 10 in the country coming into the season.
Park Gilbert outhit Providence 47-43 in kills and .144 to .133 in attack percentage. Both teams had 42 assists while the Bucs had the advantage 70-67 in digs. The Bucs also won the serving battle with 10 aces to only six for the Argos.
Individually, Scranton has come into her own in this tournament leading the Bucs again with 12 kills and hitting .292, while Bacon hit .240 with nine kills. Annika Wallace posted her first career double-double with 17 assists and 10 digs. Patton, who is the all-time digs leader in school history, has had two matches where she came within one of tying the school record for digs in a match. She finally got there in this four-set contest with 29 digs. This ties her with teammate Gabriela Morales for the single match school record. Morales completed the feat in a five-set win over Benedictine Mesa back in the 2020-21 season.
The Buccaneers now start conference play as they start on the road against La Sierra (Sept. 8) and Antelope Valley (Sept. 10). Park Gilbert looks to avenge a 3-0 loss to La Sierra last year. The Bucs followed that loss with a win at Antelope Valley 3-1.
