MESA VOLLEYBALL OUTLASTS NO. 3 PARKLAND TO REACH 5TH-PLACE MATCH AT NATIONALS

Friday November 21,  2025 - 8:00 p.m. | Dylan DeVlieger    

Mesa earned one of its most significant wins of the season on Friday night, defeating No. 3 seed Parkland College in five sets — 21–25, 25–20, 23–25, 25–20, 15–12 — to advance to the NJCAA Division II 5th-place match in Cedar Rapids .

The match featured sustained production across Mesa's entire front line. Isa Folau totaled 18 kills on 56 swings (.214) with 15 digs and 5 block assists, while Marley Avechuco added 16 kills, 16 digs, and a pair of block assists. Lindsey Leavitt matched their output with 17 kills on 53 attempts (.226), and Gracie McArthur added 10 kills with 6 block assists. In total, Mesa finished with 67 kills and 18 block assists.

Setter Isabella Jackson directed the offense with 54 assists, adding 12 digs and 2 aces. Brianna Anderson anchored the back row, recording 31 digs, while handling serve receive without an error. Mesa finished the night hitting .200 as a team across 200 total attacks, posting set efficiencies of .208, .179, .244, .186, and .172.

Parkland pushed Mesa throughout, producing 61 kills but committing 32 attack errors. Mesa held the Cobras to .147 hitting, including just .036 in the fifth set, while closing the match behind steady siding-out and balanced attacking.

With the victory, Mesa (25–8) advances to the 5th-place match and will face No. 1 Kirkwood on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 12 p.m. CT / 11 a.m. MST.

Photo Credit: NJCAA