SURPRISE, Ariz. - The Carroll College Volleyball team finished an impressive showing at the 2024 OUAZ Invitational with a pair of Friday wins over (RV) Embry-Riddle and OUAZ to finish the event unblemished.

The Fighting Saints (10-1) are simply put, on fire.

Neither the Eagles (5-3), nor the Spirit (2-3) were going to stop a Carroll side that entered the day on a five-game win-streak, as the Saints have now doubled their win total from a disappointing 2023 season just three weeks into 2024.

GAME ONE:
On paper, Friday afternoon's match was set to be the most difficult matchup of the season thus far. However, Carroll made quick work of the only receiving votes team they have seen this season, winning in straight sets.

The game was not without its share of excitement, as each set was closely contested and ultimately settled in extra points (26-24, 30-28, 26-24).

For the second straight afternoon game, Rachael Stacey (Helena, Mont. / JR) led the Saints in Kills. Her 12 kills matched that of ERAU's Dalia Haase, while Elizabeth Heuiser (Helena, Mont. / R-JR) was right behind them with 11 kills in the opener.

Heuiser also added an impressive 5 blocks, bringing her season total to 49 (No. 5 in NAIA).

Julia Carr (Portland, Ore. / GR) finished with 21 digs, while Norah Allen (Great Falls, Mont. / SO) and Jansyn Carrizales (Sunnyside, Wash. / SO) each posted 20-plus assists (Allen - 23, Carrizales - 20).

GAME TWO:
Carroll ended their week in the desert with a true road game against host-school Ottawa (Ariz.), finding their footing following a shaky start and powering to their seventh consecutive victory.

The first frame was one to forget for the Saints. Carroll hit just .024 as a team, and the Spirit ran away with a 25-13 set win, but from that point on, the Saints were in complete control.

Carroll won both the second and third sets by a score of 25-20, and closed out their undefeated desert swing with a 25-23 win in the fourth-and-final frame.

Stacey again led her team in kills, sharing the top marks on the team with McKaila Balcom (Pasco, Wash. / SO), who also posted 11 kills in the game.

Carrizales led the way for the Saints in the second match with 23 assists, while Carr added to her NAIA-leading total dig count (286) with a 30-dig performance.

An exhibition match with NCAA Division I foe Montana now awaits the Saints on Tuesday, September 3 after their return to Helena in the morning.

Visit www.carrollathletics.com to continue to stay up to date on everything going on in Carroll Athletics.

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