The Master’s University men’s volleyball team completed the sweep of its old rival with a 25-11, 25-21, 25-19 controlling of the Arizona Christian Firestorm Saturday afternoon, March 29 in Glendale, Arizona.

The Mustangs (18-0, 7-0) didn’t drop a set on this two-match Arizona swing, defeating OUAZ Friday night in straight sets.

“Our guys have been playing with great consistency, and this weekend was another example of that,” said TMU Head Coach Jared Goldberg. “Back-to-back wins over ACU and Ottawa extended our program’s longest win streak to 18, which is a testament to the focus and execution this group brings every night.”

In 18 matches this season, No. 1-ranked TMU has only lost eight sets and completed 10 3-0 sweeps of its opponents. The only time the team has gone to five sets in a match was the win over Stanford in Palo Alto.

The Master’s had control from the opening serve of the first set, breaking a 2-2 tie to go on a 6-1 run to open up an 8-3 lead. The lead mushroomed to 11 at the end of a 5-0 run that brought the score to 19-8 before closing the set winning four of the final five points for the 14-point win.

The second set was a different story as the Mustangs fell behind 7-4 to the Firestorm. But a 5-2 run tied the set at 9-9. The teams traded points, getting tied again at 15-15. That’s when TMU went on another 5-2 run to open up a 20-17 lead. The teams traded scores again before the Mustangs closed out the set winning three of the final four points to win it 25-21.

The third set proved back and forth from the start. The teams swapped leads and ties until it was 15-15. Once again it was The Master’s that pulled away, finishing out the set on a 10-4 run to take the third and the match.

Trace Oswald once again led the attack with 13 kills, hitting a cool .600 in the process with just one hitting error. Both Isaac Seltzer and Braden Van Groningen added 10 kills, with the team hitting at .385. Setter Bryce Jones collected 39 assists in the three sets, with Will Avera leading the defense with five blocks. Finn Kelly led the back line with a career-high 14 digs.

The Master’s will be back home in The MacArthur Center for its final home matches of the regular season, starting with the Benedictine Mesa Redhawks on Friday, April 4 at 6 p.m. followed by Senior Day on Saturday, April 5 against Park-Gilbert.

“Now, we’re looking forward to a big weekend ahead,” Goldberg said. “Benedictine Mesa will be a great test in a top GSAC match-up, and we’re excited to celebrate our seniors against Park Gilbert. It’s an important stretch, and we’re ready for the challenge.”

For more information visit GoMustangs.com.