AZUSA, Calif. -- The killer instinct.

It's what separates the good teams from the elite, and it was on display as the NAIA's No. 8-ranked Azusa Pacific swept a dangerous Vanguard team Saturday afternoon at the Felix Event Center, 25-21, 25-23, 25-16. The victory sets the stage for a clash with defending NAIA champion Fresno Pacific next Tuesday to see if the Cougars are indeed ready to join the upper echelon of the Golden State Athletic Conference.

Vanguard, which was fresh off a 5-set upset of No. 3-ranked California Baptist earlier in the week, raced out to a 14-7 lead in the opening set and still led by 6 points at 18-12 before Azusa Pacific senior outside hitter Jill Baker notched 3 straight kills. The burst sparked a 13-3 set-ending run that gave the Cougars the opening-set win and set the tone for the remainder of the match.

Baker had 9 of her match-high 19 kills in that opening set, but Azusa Pacific benefited from several other solid performances. Sophomore middle blocker Amy Alkazin tallied 9 kills with just 2 errors (both in the opening set), along with a match-high 6 blocks, and sophomore middle blocker Krista Brenner had 7 kills in 12 errorless attempts and 4 blocks.

A Brenner kill gave the Cougars an early 10-4 lead in the second set, but Vanguard scored 9 of the next 11 points to take a 13-12 lead. The teams traded the next 8 points before an Alison Verwey kill gave the Lions a 2-point edge at 18-16.

However, the Cougars made another late push, this one started by sophomore middle blocker Ariel Beetstra's solo block of a Jamie Heenan attack near the right antenna. Baker recorded 3 straight kills to snap a 21-21 deadlock and push Azusa Pacific to set point at 24-21, and sophomore right side hitter Whittany Radcliffe ended the set with 1 of her 6 kills for the 25-23 set victory.

Back-to-back Baker kills early in the third set turned around a 7-6 deficit and set off a 14-5 run that gave Azusa Pacific a commanding 20-12 advantage. Radcliffe had another set-ender, putting down a pass over the net for the match-clinching kill.

Vanguard, which drops to 9-6 overall and 3-3 in GSAC play, was led by Heather DeJongh's 12-kill, 4-block afternoon, while Kelsey Wirt added 10 kills, 10 digs, 1 block and 1 ace for the Lions. Lisa Morgan, a star in Vanguard's upset Tuesday over California Baptist, registered just 2 kills with an error in 8 attempts.

The victory was Azusa Pacific's fifth straight, and it was the first of 4 straight home matches for the Cougars, who improve to 14-4 overall and 5-1 in conference play. Up next is a Sept. 29 matchup with the NAIA's top-ranked Fresno Pacific, which easily swept No. 2-ranked Concordia Saturday afternoon in Irvine.

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