AZUSA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific recorded a three-set sweep against Fresno Pacific Saturday, winning 25-19, 25-23, 25-22, to wrap up a long road stretch and set up a Tuesday night battle for the PacWest lead with Biola.
The Cougars improved to 17-6 overall and 13-2 in PacWest play, just one win behind current conference leader Biola heading into Tuesday night's matchup at home against the first-place Eagles. After playing seven of its past eight matches on the road, Azusa Pacific plays three of its final seven at home, where they are 10-2 this season including a perfect 8-0 record in PacWest home matches.
MATCH SUMMARY
Eleven of Azusa Pacific's 13 wins have been three-set sweeps, and it seemed that Saturday's matchup with the Sunbirds would follow that pattern after the Cougars led wire-to-wire in the 25-19 opening-set win.
Radisic dominated the opening set with seven kills and five digs in the set, as the Cougars led by as many as 10 points before settling for the six-point win.
Wagenveld recorded three blocks in the first set and added three more in the second, helping Azusa Pacific rally from a 6-0 deficit to quickly tie things up at 8-8 in a set that featured eight ties and three lead changes. She registered a block with Aliyah Morrison for a late 20-17 lead before the Sunbirds scored four straight to edge in front, 21-20. Wagenveld ended FPU's run with a kill, sparking the Cougars to a three-point burst for a lead they never relinquished in a 25-23 win.
In the third set, the Cougars only trailed twice, both times by a single point, and Klapp sparked a 7-2 run in the middle of the set that erased a 15-14 deficit and provided enough cushion for Azusa Pacific to hang on for the 25-22 victory.
STAT LEADERS
Julianne Miller posted a match-high 10 kills with a .381 hitting percentage, while Katarina Radisic added nine kills and Sara Wagenveld added eight kills to lead the Cougars offensively. Miller also recorded two service aces and a pair of blocks, while Wagenveld led all blockers with six, including three solo stuffs.
Three players reached double-digit digs for Azusa Pacific, led by Sophia Newhouse with 14 while Radisic and Natalie Klapp added 11 digs apiece.
WHAT IT MEANS
Azusa Pacific controls its destiny in the pursuit of the program's first PacWest championship. The Cougars are chasing the top spot in the PacWest, which was seized by Biola after its five-set win over Azusa Pacific on Oct. 3 along with the Cougars' four-set road defeat at Point Loma earlier this week. Three other teams sit within two games of the conference leaders as the final three weeks of the PacWest schedule shape the crowded conference title race.
UP NEXT
The Cougars host Biola in a matchup between the top two teams in the PacWest standings. In addition, the match represents the continuation of the Cornerstone Cup Rivalry Series presented by West Coast Sand & Gravel. A Biola victory would give the Eagles a sweep of the season series, while Azusa Pacific could secure a season split with its rivals to keep the season-long trophy standings knotted at 5-5 heading into the men's and women's soccer rivalry games on the Biola campus later next week.
ABOUT THE CORNERSTONE CUP
The Cornerstone Cup is awarded annually to the athletic program with the most success in head-to-head matchups between Azusa Pacific and Biola throughout the year. A total of 140 points are awarded, with 10 points per sport going to the winner of the most head-to-head contests in each team sport or the higher-finishing team in conference championship competition for individual sports (cross country, track and field, swimming and diving).
Last Year: Azusa Pacific claimed the inaugural Cornerstone Cup trophy by a score of 95-45 last year, although Biola started the year strong with a 40-10 scoring edge through the 2017 fall sports season.
This Year:Volleyball will be the first sport of the 2018-19 school year to award its 10 points towards the rivalry series standings. Biola secured at least a season split worth five points with its win in the teams' first volleyball meeting this year, putting five more points at stake with the outcome of Tuesday's match.
