Chandler earns 200th win as Arizona Western volleyball stays undefeated

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) — The Arizona Western College volleyball team remained perfect Tuesday night, but the biggest milestone belonged to the woman leading the Matadors.

The No. 16 Matadors swept Phoenix College to improve to a perfect record while giving head coach Lorayne Chandler her 200th win with the program.

Arizona Western entered the match undefeated and facing a Phoenix College team desperate for a win.

The Matadors controlled the match from the start, taking the first two sets before heading into the third with a chance to close things out.

Maria Maeda helped lead the way offensively, finishing with a game-high 17 kills. Early in the third set, Maeda delivered another kill after a set from Yebin Ban to extend Arizona Western's lead.

Maeda later added a well-placed serve that dropped in for another Matadors point.

Arizona Western continued to find success offensively as Noemi Maringo set Yery Acosta for a kill. Acosta finished with six kills.

The Matadors went on to complete the sweep, marking their fourth straight match without surrendering a set.

For Chandler, the milestone was a reflection of the program's growth, even if she wasn't keeping track of the wins herself.

"I don't really keep track of those things," Chandler said. "We just try to go day by day around here, so I was grateful to hear that from the girls. They were excited about it, so I'm excited as well."

Chandler said she was especially happy to reach the milestone with this year's team, which she praised for buying into the program's culture.

"I'm excited for this group, and I'm glad that it was this group that we were able to do that with," Chandler said. "Obviously, it's been a long time coming."

The Matadors' success has been built around more than what happens on the court. Chandler said her players have embraced the importance of building a positive culture and taking ownership of their development.

"We're spending a lot of time on our culture and making sure that we're trying to keep things as positive as possible," Chandler said. "And these girls have really bought into that."

That approach has helped Arizona Western maintain its perfect start while keeping the team's focus on the process rather than the end goal.

"We're just trying to go game by game, practice by practice and really make sure that the girls understand that we're not looking at the finish line," Chandler said. "We're looking at the process."

The Matadors now face four straight road tests before returning home Friday, Oct. 23.