By Richard Smith
By Derek Diesner
Special to Independent Newsmedia
The first three sports to play for the Ottawa Arizona Spirit — womens volleyball, mens soccer and womens soccer — will start their seasons this month, and the school has released their rosters and schedules.
Players with Northwest Valley ties, are bolded below:
Camila Trovato, 2016 graduate of Shadow Ridge High School, signs to play womens’ volleyball with Ottawa UniversityArizona, as her mother Lorena Cano, left, and younger sister, Valentina, look on.
2017-18 Women’s Volleyball Roster
# Name Class Pos Ht. Hometown / Major / Previous School(s)
*Taylor Cheatham FR M 5-8 Phoenix / Biology/Betty H. Fairfax HS
Jessica LaRue FR
1 McKenna Crank FR OH 5-8 Payson /Payson HS
2 Breelle Lugo SO OPP 5-9 Tempe / Engineering /Arizona Western College
3 Amanda Martin FR Libero 5-7 Glendale/Sunrise Mountain HS
4 Jorie Mayfield JR OH 5-11 Tempe /Eastern New Mexico
5 Journee Nobles FR OH 5-10 Round Rock, TX / Pre-Dentistry /Anderson HS
6 Melissa Pignatiello FR S 5-7 Peoria, AZ /Cactus HS
7 Kelsey Marchant JR Libero 5-8 Powell, WY / Elementary Education/Northwest College
8 Destiny Riles FR DS 5-6 Midwest City, OK/MidAmerica Nazarene University
9 Lauryn Mussa FR OPP 5-8 Peoria/ Exercise Science/Greenway HS
10 Ryane Sanders FR OPP 5-9 Glendale/O’Connor HS
11 Camila Trovato FR Libero 5-6 Surprise/ Elementary Education/Shadow Ridge HS/Grand Canyon University
12 Julissa Alaniz FR OH/M 5-9 Parker/Parker HS
13 Deauna Johnson JR DS 5-7 Lakewood, WA/Pierce College
14 Halei Sanders FR OH 5-10 Peoria/ Elementary Education/Glendale Community College
15 Izze Gibbs FR OH 5-9 Flagstaff/Flagstaff HS
16 Nicole Newman FR OH 5-10 Avondale/Agua Fria HS
17 Amanda Wick FR M 5-11 Glendale/ Sports Management/Deer Valley HS/Grand Canyon University
18 Kara Ward FR M 5-10 Payson/Payson HS
19 Nicole Rackley SO OH 5-9 Peoria/Kellis HS/Otero Junior College
20 Kylie Greenway SO OPP 5-9 Riverside, CA/Grossmont College
21 Jessica Youngberg JR M 5-10 Peoria/Centennial HS/Glendale Community College
22 Sydney Pendgraft FR OPP 5-9 Surprise/Shadow Ridge HS
23 Kennedy O’Connor JR OH 5-11 Graham, WA/Pierce College
24 Olivia Kovacs JR Libero 5-5 Puyallup, WA/Pierce College
25 Adara Greathouse FR OH 5-9 Surprise/Greenway HS
28 Hannah Moreno FR Libero 5-6 Peoria/ Biology/Liberty HS
29 Carlee Beck SO DS/S 5-8 Des Moines, Iowa/Loras College
41 Madison Williams JR Setter 5-6 Peoria/Nursing/Liberty HS/Grand Canyon University
Coaching Staff:
Kristin Steele - Head Coach - 1st Season - University of Central Oklahoma
Ver’leea Hardaway - Assistant Coach - 1st Season - Washington State University
Tyler Jenkins - Assistant Coach - 1st Season - Arizona State University
2017 Spirit (W) Volleyball Schedule
Aug. 16 at South Mountain CC (scrimmage) 5 p.m.
Aug. 23 at South Mountain CC (scrimmage) 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 25 University of the Southwest 7 p.m.
Sept. 1 vs Antelope Valley at Arizona Christian 1 p.m.
Sept. 2 at Vanguard University 2 p.m.
Sept. 6 at Arizona Christian 7 p.m.
Sept. 8-9 @Providence Christian Tournament in Pasadena, Calif.
Sept. 13 Benedictine Mesa 7 p.m.
Sept .14 Southwestern Assemblies of God Univ. 7 p.m.
Sept. 20 Hope International 5 p.m.
Sept. 23 vs Vanguard at Arizona Christian 7 p.m.
Sept. 26 at SAGU 7 p.m.
Sept. 27 at Chandler-Gilbert CC 7 p.m.
Oct. 4 Arizona Christian 7 p.m.
Oct. 6 at Embry Riddle 7 p.m.
Oct. 13 at Hope International 7 p.m.
Oct. 14 at Bethesda University TBA
Oct. 17 at Benedictine Mesa TBA
Oct. 20 at West Coast Baptist 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 20 vs. Mills College 4 p.m.
Oct. 21 at Saint Katherine College 1 p.m.
Oct. 25 at San Diego Christian 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 27 Bethesda 7 p.m.
Nov. 2 Embry Riddle 6:30 p.m.
Note: Home games will be played at Valley Vista High School
2017-18 Men’s Soccer Roster
# Name Class Pos Ht. Wt. Hometown / Major / Previous School
00 Logan Free FR GK 5-10 153 Bonney Lake, WA/Bonney Lake HS
0 Alex Londors SO GK 6-0 169 Chelmsford, England/Moulsham HS
1 Gerold Siaha JR GK 6-5 203 Tucson/ Business/Cal State University of Bakersfield
2 Eduardo Aguilar-Mendoza FR F 5-8 126 Manteca, CA/Sierra HS
4 Andrew Bianchi JR D 5-8 160 Tucson/ General Studies/Pima Community College
5 Chase Castro FR D 5-9 165 Las Vegas, NV/Odyssey Charter HS
6 Mauricio Ochoa FR M 5-7 155 Elk Grove, CA/Franklin HS
7 Ricardo Navarro FR F 5-8 155 Inglewood, CA/Willow Canyon
8 Ramsin Larios FR D 5-7 140 Turlock,CA/John H. Pitman HS
9 Giovanni Gil Ruelas FR M 5-11 150 Manteca, CA/East Union HS
11 Samuel George FR F 5-8 154 Sittingbourne, England/Highsted Grammar School
12 Ramon Vicente Rojas FR M 5-6 170 Manteca, CA/Manteca HS
13 Miguel Acosta FR M 5-6 156 Stockton, CA/Franklin HS
14 Adam Felipe Dumo FR D 5-6 135 Las Vegas, NV/Valley HS
15 Ramon Suarez FR D 6-1 154 Glendale/Bourgade Catholic HS
16 Christian Lopez FR F 5-9 140 Phoenix/Madison Highland Prep
17 Eduardo Soriano III FR M 5-8 138 Las Vegas, NV/Liberty HS
18 Jacob Garcia FR M 5-6 138 Las Vegas, NV/Centennial HS
19 Marc “Louie” Tate FR M 5-5 126 Quezon City, Philippines/Millennium HS
20 Omar Centeno SO M 5-8 165 Los Angeles, CA / Business/Delta College
21 Andric McGill FR F 6-0 146 McPherson, KS/McPherson HS
22 Hazem Sobhy FR MF 5-9 163 Cairo, Egypt/American International School of Egypt
23 David Lopez FR M 5-5 125 Manteca, CA/Sierra HS
24 Zach Galeancu FR M 6-0 175 Seattle, WA/Barry Goldwater HS
26 Michael Navarro SO MF 5-3 145 Glendale/Deer Valley HS
27 Bryan Hernandez FR F 5-9 150 Phoenix/ Exercise Science/Carl Hayden HS
28 Herman Knipp IV FR F 6-0 160 Louisburg, KS/Louisburg HS
33 Bradley Beck SO F 6-0 180 Las Vegas, NV/ Business/Glendale Community College
45 Kaden Jobe FR GK 5-9 155 Wichita, KS/Maize HS
Coaching Staff:
Matt Gow - Head Coach - 1st Season - MidAmerica Nazarene University
Benjamin Bardales - Assistant Coach - 1st Season - Bryan College
Justin Harrison - Assistant Coach - 1st Season - MidAmerica Nazarene University
Ottawa - Arizona Men’s Soccer Schedule
Date Time
Aug. 12 7:30 p.m. vs. Glendale Community College at ASU West
Aug. 15 7:30 p.m. vs. GateWay CC at ASU West
Aug. 19 1:30 p.m. at Arizona Christian
Aug. 26 4:30 p.m. at Providence Christian College
Glendale resident and former Bourgade Catholic School player Ramon Suarez signs with Ottawa University Arizona mens' soccer.
Aug. 28 TBA at Soka University of America
Aug. 31 4 p.m. at Hope International University
Sept. 2 Noon at San Diego Christian College
Sept. 7 7 p.m. at Embry-Riddle
Sept. 14 8 p.m. at Benedictine University at Mesa
Sept. 21 7 p.m. at Biola University
Sept. 23 1 p.m. at University of Antelope Valley
Oct. 5 TBA at Saint Katherine College
Oct. 7 5:30 p.m. at Bethesda University of California
Oct. 12 7 p.m. vs. Arizona Christian at Ottawa AZ*
Oct. 21 5:30 p.m. vs. Bethesda University - CA at Ottawa AZ*
Oct. 24 7:30 p.m. vs. Benedictine at Ottawa AZ*
Oct. 28 2:30 p.m. vs. Grace College in Denver
Oct. 29 2:30 p.m. at Johnson & Wales University
Nov. 2 7 p.m. vs. Embry-Riddle at Ottawa AZ*
*: Home games tentatively scheduled for Ottawa University’s new home field
2017-18 Women’s Soccer Roster
# Name Class Pos Ht. Hometown / Major / Previous School
Carley Cope JR F/MF 5-2 Gilbert Psychology/Metropolitan State University
0 Alexis Kelly FR GK 6-0 Phoenix/Mountain Pointe HS
~ Cassidy Morris JR F/MF/D 5-6 Gilbert/Highland HS
00 Brooke Riddle JR GK 5-5 Cypress, CA / Social and Behavioral Sciences/Golden West College
~ Bopha Thomas JR F - Elgin, IL/Parkland College
1 Emily Kriplean JR GK 5-10 Peoria/ Special Education/Peoria HS/GateWay Community College
2 Shayna Marquez FR - River Valley HS
3 Kelly Smith JR D 5-7 Goodyear/ Business Administration/Paradise Valley Community College
4 Taylor Constance JR MF 5-3 Gilbert/ Exercise Science/Chandler-Gilbert Community College
5 Sydnee Busby JR F 5-8 Cypress, CA / Elementary Education/Orange Coast College
7 Shombri Baranski FR -
8 Kii Aweau FR -
9 Kaitlyn Kelsey JR F/MF 5-4 Surprise/ Sociology/Willow Canyon HS/Glendale Community College
11 Briana Boehm FR D/CB 5-3 Laveen,/Betty H. Fairfax
12 Cassidy Chriest JR MF 5-5 Peoria/O’Connor HS/Paradise Valley Community College
13 Brandi Gutierrez SR CB 5-7 Orangevale, CA/Kinesiology/Folsom Lake College
14 Drew Theobald FR MF 5-5 Surprise/Valley Vista HS
15 Daniela Rios FR - GateWay CC
16 Danica Milan JR D 5-6 Gilbert/ Psychology/Chandler-Gilbert Community College
17 Tylar Williams JR - Chandler
18 Isabel Casillas JR MF 5-3 Yuma/Mesa Community College
19 Kaycee Youngs SO F 5-3 Peoria/Deer Valley HS/Glendale Community College
20 McKenna Richards FR MF 5-8 Phoenix/Exercise Science/Northwest Christian
21 Tori McClelland JR MF/F 5-5 Colorado Springs, CO / Undecided/Mesa Community College
22 Andrea Cerda FR -
23 Miranda Ruiz FR - Paraclette HS
24 Keana Barrow JR MF 5-8 Goodyear/Phoenix College
25 Bree Hernandez FR - River Valley HS
26 Sam Ahern FR D 5-6 Medina, OH / Biology/Shadow Ridge HS
28 Shania Maddux JR MF 5-6 Glendale/O’Connor HS/Parkland College
29 Alondra Renteria FR - Phoenix College
Coaching Staff:
Skelly Kellar - Head Coach - 1st Season - Azusa Pacific University
Brian Thames - Assistant Coach - 1st Season -
Matt Smith - Assistant Coach - 1st Season -
OUAZ Women’s Soccer Schedule
Date Opponent
Aug. 12 at SCC (Scrimmage) at 11 a.m.
Aug. 15 Gateway (Scrimmage) 5:30 p.m. (at ASU West)
Former Peoria High School soccer goalkeeper Emily Kriplean signed to play with Ottawa University Arizona this fall
Aug. 19 at Arizona Christian at 11 a.m.
Aug. 26 at Providence Christian at 7 p.m.
Aug. 28 at Soka
Aug. 31 at San Diego Christian
Sept. 2 at La Sierra at 7 p.m.
Sept. 8 Snow College (Scrimmage) at 7 p.m.
Sept. 10 Mills College 12:30 p.m.
Sept. 14 at Benedictine
Sept. 24 at La Sierra at 6 p.m.
Sept. 26 at Saint Katherine College
Oct. 3 at Antelope Valley
Oct. 5 at St Katherine College
Oct. 10 at Embry Riddle at 7 p.m.
Oct. 12 Arizona Christian at 5:30 p.m.*
Oct. 14 BenU Mesa at 7 p.m.*
Oct. 21 Shepherd University at 5:30 p.m.*
Oct. 28 at Johnson & Wales
Oct. 29 at Grace (Neb.)
*: Home games tentatively scheduled for Ottawa University’s new home field
For more information about OUAZ athletics, visit
http://www.ottawa.edu/ouaz/athletics. Follow OUAZ athletics on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/OUAZSpiritAthletics/ and on Twitter
twitter.com/OUAZSpirit.
Editor’s Note: Derek Diesner is the Sports Information Director for Ottawa University Arizona.
