SILENT NIGHT

The Westcliff women's volleyball team delivered another inspired performance on the road Friday night, battling Embry-Riddle tooth-and-nail before a tame home audience in Prescott before falling in three close sets, 27-25, 25-16, 25-20.

The Warriors (1-3) nearly stole the opener, rallying late to come within two points, and were within striking distance again in the third set before the Eagles closed it out.

Embry-Riddle (4-5) leaned on its size and efficiency, but Westcliff matched the energy in front of a large home crowd.

"It was an incredible match, another great match to watch," Westcliff head coach Greg Wakeham said. "I'm proud of the girls, Embry-Riddle is always good, they have a very serious university and coaching staff — they're very professional. Their girls are very physical and well-trained.

"We came within two in the first set, we were close in the third set, and it was impressive because the gym is really fun to play in. It will fill up really quick and be loud, and they filled it up. But it was so quiet — and that's because our play was so much more inspired.

"So, it was just a lot of fun, we have a great group of girls, they're so fun to coach. I'm really happy with how hard they work, and it's just really fun to watch them."

Wakeham highlighted setter Lauren Phinnessee as a key factor for the Warriors. The junior ran the offense with 21 assists and added 12 digs to notch a double-double.

Westcliff also got 11 kills apiece from Samantha Carelock and Serena Comer, while Joliayns Roman led the defense with 11 digs.

The Warriors served six aces and totaled 53 digs in the match, showing their depth and resilience against a physical opponent.

The night marked another step forward for a program that continues to show its growth and spirit early in the season.

Westcliff raps its trip Saturday at Yavapai College.