Glendale, Ariz.- Having been swept by Hope International just 13 days earlier, Arizona Christian turned the tables on the NAIA ranked number 15 Royals on Friday as the Firestorm delivered a sweep.

Match Info

• Match score: Arizona Christian- 3, Hope International -0
  • Set 1: ACU 25-21
  • Set 2: ACU 25-23
  • Set 3: ACU 25-22
• Records: Arizona Christian- 5-9, 2-4 GSAC, Hope International- 12-6, 3-3 GSAC
• NAIA Top 15 Rank: Arizona Christian- not ranked, Hope International- 15
• Location: Firestorm Recreation Center, Arizona Christian University, Glendale, AZ

ACU Stats

• Connor Monahan - 15 kills, 12 digs, 4 blocks
• Caleb Merlino - 11 kills
• Korbin Torres - 4 kills, 5 blocks
• Josiah Flores - 31 assists

Inside the Box Score

• Down 4-3 in the first set, ACU gained the lead with a 4-0 run
• The Firestorm kept the lead until the Royals forced a 21-21 tie
• But another 4-0 run (Jeremy Simon ace, Monahan kill) gave ACU the set win
• Four kills (two Merlino, Monahan, and Joel Romero) gave the Firestorm a 4-1 second set lead
• The Royals created ties at 9-9 and 10-10 
• ACU reached set point before a 4-0 HIU run but Torres and Flores claimed the set win with a block
• HIU scored two to begin set three
• The Firestorm accounted for six of the next seven points for control
• But the Royals forced the issue by creating a 21-21 tie
• Two kills from both Monahan and Merlino sealed the win

Thoughts from Coach Bruns
"We played our game tonight.  Scrapped and battled when needed.  We passed the ball well tonight and we had a few calls go in our direction that helped with the first set win.  Proud of our guys and the way we looked like a team tonight."

Up Next
On Saturday, NAIA ranked number one The Master's will arrive in the Firestorm Recreation Center. First serve is scheduled for 1:00 pm.