AZUSA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific took its seven-match unbeaten start to Pacific West Conference play on the road for the first time in PacWest play, and the Cougars took care of business with a four-set win at Notre Dame de Namur by scores of 25-20, 25-14, 21-25, 25-16.
The Cougars claimed the first two sets by a combined 16-point margin before losing a single set for just the second time in eight PacWest matches so far this season. Azusa Pacific came back and won the fourth set by a nine-point margin to finish off the road win and improve to 12-4 overall and 8-0 in PacWest play.
Senior outside hitter Natalie Klapp led the Cougars with a match-high 17 kills, which included six kills in the 25-14 second-set win, and she also recorded 17 digs while freshman outside hitter Katarina Radisic added 12 kills and 12 digs. Other standouts for the Cougars included junior middle blocker Julianne Miller, who recorded 11 kills with a match-high seven blocks, and Sara Wagenveld, who collected nine kills on just 19 attempts while posting a team-high attack percentage of .421.
In the opening set, Azusa Pacific held a slim 10-9 margin before reeling off six consecutive points, which finished with three consecutive kills from Miller as the lead expanded to 16-9. In the second set, the Cougars turned another one-point margin midway through the set into a commanding edge, scoring six of seven points to turn a 9-8 edge into a 15-9 margin. With NDNU keeping within four at 17-13, Azusa Pacific scored eight of the final nine to claim the second set by a 25-14 margin.
Notre Dame de Namur answered to win the third set, which the Cougars trailed by a single point at 18-17 before NDNU scored seven of the next 11 points to stay alive in the match. In the fourth set, Klapp and Aliyah Morrison each had two kills in an early 7-1 run which flipped the set into Azusa Pacific's favor. With the Argonauts still staying within three points at 15-12, the Cougars produced a 10-4 run to close out the set and the match.
Azusa Pacific faces Dominican on short rest to finish off a quick two-day trip to the Bay Area, visiting the Penguins in San Rafael on Saturday, September 29 at 3:00 p.m.
