IRVINE, Calif. -- For the first time in PacWest play this season, Azusa Pacific was taken to a fifth set, as the Cougars had to battle back from an early 0-2 deficit, eventually winning in the fifth set (22-25, 15-25, 25-20, 25-22, 15-11). With the win, the Cougars advance 10-2 on the season and 4-0 in PacWest play.
The Cougars got off to a slow start in the first frame, trailing as much as six points (15-9) before a kill by
Julianne Miller changed Azusa Pacific's momentum.
Sara Wagenveld contributed four kills late in the set to help cut the Eagle's lead 23-22, but with a few Cougar errors, Concordia finished the first frame with a 25-22 win.
The two teams opened up the second set battling back and forth. Concordia led most of the frame, but could never extend its lead more than three points against the Cougars. It wasn't until the end of the frame when the Eagles pulled away and never looked back to seal its second set victory, 25-19.
Following the second set, Azusa Pacific faced a situation in which it needed to win three straight sets to leave Irvine with a win. The Cougars did just that.
Entering the third set, the two teams went point-for-point early on. With the scored tied 5-5, Azusa Pacific showed strong play and took its first lead of the night with another kill from Wagenveld. The Cougars continued to hold a consistent three-point lead throughout most of the frame before breaking away at the end to secure its first set win 25-20.
With the Eagles seeking to finish off the match in four, Azusa Pacific came out ready for battle to force a fifth set. Looking for a set point, another Wagenveld kill (assisted by
Mina Andjelkovic) sealed a 25-22 victory for the Cougars to send Azusa Pacific into the final set.
In the fifth set, Concordia scored the first three points, before Azusa Pacific answered back and put its first point on the board with a kill by
Katarina Radisic. With the score tied 7-7, a service error from the Cougars gave the Eagles a one-point lead before changing sides on the court. Azusa Pacific scored the next four points to take an 11-8 lead. The Cougars maintained momentum and sealed another PacWest victory when Andjelkovic dumped the ball of for the 15th point of the set and final point of the match.
What's Next
Azusa Pacific returns home to take on rival Biola, as it will be the first meeting in the 2019-20 Cornerstone Cup rivalry series. Last season, Azusa Pacific and Biola split the two regular season matches, with each team defending its homecourt. The match is a 3:00 p.m. contest on Saturday, Oct. 5, in the Felix Event Center.
