Arizona Western Volleyball makes history, finishes regular season 25-0.
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - History was made on Saturday at Arizona Western College, where the No. 12-ranked Lady Matadors completed the first undefeated regular season in program history Saturday with a 3-0 sweep of the College of Southern Nevada Coyotes.
Arizona Western secured the milestone with set scores of 25-18, 25-7 and 25-12, finishing the regular season with a perfect 25-0 record and extending its dominant run with a second consecutive sweep of the Coyotes in just two days.
The Lady Matadors came out strong at The House, taking the opening set before putting together a commanding performance in the second. Arizona Western jumped out to an early lead behind Maria Maeda and setter Yebin Ban, building momentum with a combination of powerful attacks and service aces.
Maeda added to the advantage with an ace of her own as the Matadors continued to pull away. Despite a brief push from Southern Nevada, Arizona Western maintained control and closed out the match in straight sets.
Maeda led the Matadors with 12 kills, seven digs and 13 points. Ban finished with 17 assists and three service aces, while Noemi Marinho contributed 12 assists.
Head coach Lorayne Chandler said the achievement was especially meaningful after 10 years leading the program, praising the team's commitment to building a strong culture both on and off the court.
“Not something I've ever done in my ten years here. So very excited for the girls. I'm glad that it was this team that we made it this far with,” Chandler said.
Chandler credited the team's chemistry and buy-in from the beginning of the season, emphasizing the importance of being a good teammate, a good person and a strong student.
The historic finish also puts Arizona Western in a favorable position heading into the postseason. As ACCAC champions and the No. 1 seed in the Region I playoffs, the Lady Matadors will host every round of the postseason at Arizona Western College.
Despite the accomplishment, the Matadors now turn their attention toward the postseason, where they will look to carry their undefeated momentum into a championship run.
Playoff action begins November 2, with the opponent and match time yet to be announced.
