Whatton and Gilleland produce double-doubles but Aztecs Volleyball rally gets cut short vs. Chandler-Gilbert CC

The Pima Community College volleyball team (8-15, 4-7 in ACCAC) hosted Chandler-Gilbert Community College (10-8, 7-5) on Wednesday at the West Campus Aztec Gymnasium.

• The Aztecs tied the match at 1-1 but dropped the next two sets to the Coyotes as they fell in four games (25-17, 19-25, 25-22, 25-20). The Aztecs have lost six straight matches.
• The Aztecs took an early 6-5 lead in the first set, but the Coyotes rallied off seven straight points to take the lead at 12-6. The Aztecs narrowed the deficit after a kill from freshman Jasmin Joseph (Tanque Verde HS) and an ace by freshman Elli Meinke (Ironwood Ridge HS) to make it 18-15. Chandler-Gilbert scored six straight points to put the score at 24-15. The Aztecs got two straight kills from freshman Kenna Simon and sophomore Abby Whatton (Canyon del Oro HS) but lost the next point.
• The teams went back and forth in the second set with 11 ties. The Aztecs got a little breathing room with kills from Simon, and two from sophomore Christina Shaffer (Pusch Ridge Christian HS) to put Pima up 18-15. Up 20-18, the Aztecs got a block point from freshman Haylee Gilleland (Flagstaff HS) and an ace from sophomore Jalynn Ransom (Salpointe Catholic HS) to make it 23-18 as they tied the match soon after.
• The Aztecs were in another tight battle in the third set. Down 12-11, the Aztecs got a kill and a block from Whatton and an ace from Gilleland to put Pima up 14-12. The Coyotes scored the next four out of five points but Shaffer tied it with her kill at 16-16. The Coyotes scored the next four points to put the Aztecs in a 20-16 deficit. Pima cut it to two points at 24-22 after Whatton's kill but Chandler-Gilbert scored the next point to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
• The Aztecs and the Coyotes each held a three-point advantage in the early stages in the fourth set. Pima's final lead of the match came on freshman Tameryn Koford's kill to make it 15-14. The Coytotes scored four straight points to retake the lead at 18-15. Simon's kill on the next point halted the rally but Chandler-Gilbert put down the next two points to make it 20-16. Down 24-19, the Aztecs cut the deficit again with Koford's kill but the Coyotes won the match on the next point.
• Whatton and Gilleland each finished the match with double-doubles. Whatton had a team-high 15 kills along with 10 digs while Gilleland finished with 32 assists and 10 digs.
• Shaffer closed it out with nine kills while Koford posted eight kills. Sophomore Morgan Hains (Canyon del Oro HS) led the Aztecs with 21 digs and sophomore Sasha Ross (Canyon del Oro HS) added 17 digs to go along with three kills and two blocks. Meinke finished the match with three aces.

The Aztecs are back at the West Campus Aztec Gymnasium on Friday when they host Phoenix College. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.