Broncbusters drop epic five-set match to Arizona Western

Garden City, KS-Even in defeat, Patrick Hiltz could only smile on Friday night.  

After taking a commanding 2-0 lead, the Broncbusters couldn't slam the door as Arizona Western fought back to beat the Broncbusters in five sets, 25-19, 25-20, 24-26, 22-25, 13-15 at Conestoga Arena on day one of the second annual Scooter's Invitational. 

Garden City overwhelmed the Matadors to begin the match scoring the first four points of the opening set. Following a net violation and a couple of Julia Brazil kills, the Broncbusters had a 13-7 advantage. Tola Maczka, who finished the night with a team-best 60 assists, set up Pinar Dugeroglu for a powerful spike before passing to Brazil for two more kills and a 20-14 lead. Evelyn Trivino's attack error eventually ended the set. 

It was the exact opposite scenario in the second.  

Hiltz's squad found themselves down 6-1, thanks to a slew of unforced errors. But the Broncbusters quickly stabilized, and Maczka's kill tied things up at eight. Moments later, the sophomore passed backwards to Jelena Milovanovic, who finished with a crosscourt hammer. After Arizona Western built the lead back to four, the Broncbusters utilized a 12-3 run to push the Matadors to the brink. Apolline Lepuissant blocked Alexis Goodman's attack, Brazil dropped in an ace, and Garden City was up, 2-0.  

But with temperatures rising in the gym, thanks to a humid night outside the Perryman Athletic Complex, fatigue quickly set in in the third. After the Broncbusters rallied back from a seven-point deficit to tie it at 24 following Brazil's kill that brought the student section to its feet, Ma'o Lauhingoa silenced the crowd with a spike, and Gabriela Martensson added an ace to force a fourth set.  

That's where things got interesting. 

Garden City again found itself down midway through the frame following Martensson's kill off aa backwards set that made it 17-12. After the Broncbusters pulled to within one on freshman Vitoria Stedile's ace, Goodman, who finished with 10 kills, powered one down the line before a passing error by Maczka sent the match to a decisive fifth set.  

"We could have taken any of the last three sets, but we couldn't quite finish," Hiltz said afterwards. 

Down 12-7 in the fifth, Garden City stormed back on the heels of a 7-2 run to make it 14-13. But facing a second straight match point, Goodman's spike landed just out of the reach of Brazil's fingertips, ending another epic match between these same two teams that battled through a five-set marathon last August in Yuma.  

Lepuissant finished with 21 kills for Garden City, which lost in five for a second straight season to the Matadors. Milovanovic chipped in 20 kills. 

"I am so proud of the way these girls fought, and I can't wait to get back on the court on Saturday," Hiltz added. 

Trivino paced Arizona Western with 34 assists, and Ally Reeser tallied 24 digs.