AWC sweeps Central Wyoming College 3-0 in season opener

The Lady Matadors won their first game of the season against the Rustlers, but the match was closer than the score would suggest.

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Arizona Western College swept Central Wyoming College during the first night of the Chapman Automotive Tournament on Thursday at The House Gymnasium, but the sets didn't come easy, as the Lady Matadors had to come back on two different occasions.

The first set went the distance, and then some, ending in a final score of 28-26 in favor of AWC.

The second frame was won with some conviction, where the Lady Matadors beat the Rustlers 25-15, there largest victory of the night.

In the final round of play, AWC trailed by as much as seven, but there leadership and relentlessness are the reasons Head Coach Lorayne Chandler believes the Matadors crawled back to win the final set 26-24 over Central Wyoming.

"Having some of that seniority on the team, having some sophomores really take that initiative and dig deep," Chandler said regarding the win. "Being able to call a timeout and say, look, this is what we got, this is what we got to do, and then to just watch the girls nod their heads and know, 'ok coach, we got this.' That's a great feeling."

What wasn't so great of a feeling was the uncertainty of the final point of the game.

It appeared Sevval Aslan had the game winning point, but the referee deemed the shot out of bounds. After a lengthy review from a make shift replay center in The House, the call was overturned, and the Matadors won the game.

Key contributors included Esther Asiedu who had a shared team high eight kills with Larrynn Joesph-Rodrigues and five blocks with Sevval Aslan.

The tournament continues Friday where AWC will face Western Wyoming Community College at 7:30 p.m.