Yetis make history in Arizona, battle two ranked foes, and come home tougher

The Cleveland Community College Yetis took flight—literally—for the first time in program history, traveling to Mesa, Arizona, for a four-match tournament that featured two nationally ranked opponents. Beyond the box scores, the trip delivered exactly what head coach Jamie Wilson hoped for: growth, grit, and a team that kept getting better every set.

"I saw a lot of heart this weekend. I was proud of the fight," Wilson said. "We got consistently better as the weekend went on. We were able to compete with some of the best teams in the nation. I hope we bring back some of the confidence we gained in Arizona."

Off the court, the Yetis soaked in the Southwest—the Grand Canyon and the red rocks of Sedona—and on the court, they stacked valuable reps against elite competition.

Match-by-match

South Mountain 3, Yetis 0 (18–25, 22–25, 22–25)
Senior pins Ariann Hernandez (8 kills) and London Brown (10 kills, 2 blocks) led the attack, while Addison Beaver steadied the offense with 18 assists and 3 aces. Avery Lindsey added 7 assists and 2 aces, and Sara Rose Warlick chipped in 10 digs with an ace. The front line piled up 13 block assists, sparked by Corinne Cutter (3 BA), Hernandez (2 BA), Brown (2 BA), Warlick (2 BA), and Truly Gibbs (2 BA).

#Ranked Opponent# Mesa 3, Yetis 1 (14–25, 15–25, 25–23, 13–25)
The Yetis stole a set from a ranked team, riding Hernandez's 14 kills (.250) and a late-set surge to take the third. Brown added 9 kills and 10 digs, while Warlick posted 5 kills, 9 digs, and 2 aces. Lindsey stacked 11 assists and 12 digs, and Beaver dished 20 assists. At the net, Gibbs turned defense into momentum with 2 solo blocks and 2 block assists, and Warlick added a solo stuff.

#Ranked Opponent# Mesa 3, Yetis 0 (12–25, 21–25, 18–25)
The rematch was tighter through the middle frames, highlighted by Warlick (6 kills, .133, 9 digs) and Brown (7 kills, 11 digs, 3 aces). Lindsey anchored serve-receive with 11 digs and 12 assists, and Kaitlyn Clutter was a vacuum in the backcourt with 17 digs. Janiyah Giddens brought energy at the net with 2 block assists and 2 kills.

Scottsdale 3, Yetis 0 (18–25, 20–25, 15–25)
The Yetis kept swinging, and Hernandez delivered another big night with 12 kills (.346). Warlick turned defense into transition with 13 digs and 4 kills, Cutter added 3 block assists, and Beaver and Lindsey combined for 15 assists, with Lindsey tacking on an ace.

Weekend standouts

• Ariann Hernandez (OH): 38 kills across four matches, including .250 vs. ranked Mesa and .346 vs. Scottsdale.

• London Brown (OH): Double-figure digs twice and 3 aces in the Mesa rematch; 29 total kills on the weekend.

• Sara Rose Warlick (RS/DS): Stuffed the stat sheet—kills when needed, plus 31 digs over the final two matches and a solo block.

• Addison Beaver (S): Ran the show with 59 assists on the trip, plus 3 aces in the opener.

• Avery Lindsey (S/DS): Clutch two-way play—33 assists, 40 digs, and 4 aces across four matches.

• Kaitlyn Clutter (L): Backline anchor with 41 digs vs. ranked competition (15, 17, 9 in the last three).

• Front-row defense: Cutter, Gibbs, Hernandez, Warlick, and Giddens combined for a flurry of blocks that helped the Yetis flip momentum in multiple sets.

Big-picture takeaways

• First-ever flight for Yetis Volleyball—milestone moment for the program.

• Faced two nationally ranked teams and took a set off one of them.

• Trend line up: Each match showed cleaner first contacts and more terminal swings, especially from Hernandez and Brown.

• Confidence builder: The group leaves Arizona with battle-tested poise and a deeper rotation that can contribute in any set.

The desert gave the Yetis sun, scenery, and serious competition—and they brought home something even better: belief. Now it's back to North Carolina with momentum and a higher ceiling for the stretch ahead.