The Park University Gilbert volleyball team won its second game in a row, beating Simpson University 3-1 (25-19, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20) in its home opener at Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, Ariz. The Buccaneers up its record 2-3 on the season and increase its advantage in the all-time series with Simpson to 5-2. Simpson falls to 0-10 on the season.

The Buccaneers came out strong in the first set taking a 5-1 lead and maintaining the advantage throughout the set. The Bucs had the Kills advantage (12-10) in the frame and was also more efficient hitting .222 with only four errors while the Red Hawks hit .022 with nine miscues.

The Buccaneers are a young group and head coach Pisila Tukia is still playing with her lineups as she attempts to put her charges into the best position for success. In set two, Tukia mixed and matched her rotations and while the Bucs kept the set tight, the Ref Hawks went on a 6-3 run to take the second stanza. Simpson out hit the Park 14-7 in kills for the set.

Set three was turned out to be a barnburner and an amazing come from behind victory for the Bucco's. Simpson led throughout the set, with its largest advantage coming at 19-15. The Bucs would cut the advantage to one but Simpson would maintain the lead to set point at 24-22. Things looked bleak as and the raucous Bucs crown was silenced as it looked as though they would fall behind 2-1.

Tukia called a time out and the Bucs got the crowd back into the game as freshman Molly Aiken put away an overpass to cut the deficit to one, followed by Leila Lee and Aiken blocking a Simpson kill attempt to tie the match at 24-all. Another attack error by the Red Hawks brough a Simpson time out but it could not stem the tide as Adrianna DeMario completed the comeback with an ace.  Four consecutive points with the game on the line and the Bucs walked away with the 2-1 set advantage.  

Undaunted, Simpson came out in the fourth set looking as though they wanted to take this match to a fifth and deciding set.  They led early in the frame, taking a lead as large as four points (10-6). Park Gilbert chipped away at the lead, using an 9-3 run to take the lead for good at 15-13. Simpson would close it to one at 17-16, but the Bucs closed out the match on an 8-4 run including three kills for Aliya Unseth.

Looking at the final totals, Simpson won the kills battle (46-41) but also had 15 more attack errors than Park (38-23). The Red Hawks also had a significant number of digs with 76 to only 57 for Park. The Bucs however, did not have as many digs because they dominated at the net with 16 blocks which ties the record for the second most blocks in a match in school history.  

Individually, Unseth let the team with a career high 13 kills and seven block assists which ties for fourth most in a match in school history. Keep Williams also had a career day, setting a career high for kills in a match with 11 to go along with a career high nine digs which tied with four others for the team high.

Adrianna DeMario set a career high with 29 assists to go along with two aces.

The Bucs look to continue the momentum as they now travel to Florida for the Florida College Labor Day Invitational starting on Friday, August 29. The Bucs will take on Warner at 8 a.m. Arizona time and then play St. Thomas at 10 a.m. Arizona time. It will be the first meeting for the Bucs against both teams.