SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – Azusa Pacific is advancing to the West Region Championship and is one of sixteen teams still standing, as the Cougars upset Western Washington in five sets on Friday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Entering the match, Western Washington was the second-seed in the region and ranked fourth in the nation.
It took all hands on deck for the Cougars, as four players had 10 or more kills, four had four or more blocks, and two finished with double-digit digs.
Katarina Radisic had 17 kills to lead the Cougars,
Sara Wagenveld finished with 12, and
Annaka Jorgenson and
Aliyah Morrison each had 10 kills.
Mina Andjelkovic had 33 assists, while
Maggie Nielsen added 24 assists. Defensively,
Julianne Miller and
Aliyah Morrison each had seven total blocks, Wagenveld tallied five blocks, and
Amy Hinnant recorded four total blocks.
Bailey Henington finished the match with 25 total blocks.
Azusa Pacific jumped out to a 2-0 set lead on the Vikings, appearing to grab all momentum in the match. However, Western Washington showed why it had been ranked among the nation's best, as the Vikings stormed back to win the third and force a fourth set.
In the fourth set, the two teams battled back-and-forth, with the Cougars eventually taking a late 24-22 lead. Facing match point, the Vikings responded in a big way. Following an attack error by the Cougars, Western Washington tied the match at 24-24 with a kill from Gabby Gunterman. Azusa Pacific had another match point, as an attack error from the Vikings brought the score to 24-23, Cougars. For the second time, Western Washington kept the contest going, as Gunterman recorded another kill, and an attack error from the Cougars gave the Vikings a 26-25 lead. While Azusa Pacific tied the match at 26-26, the Vikings forced a fifth set via a service error from the Cougars and a service ace by Tupu Lologo that gave Western Washington the 28-26 set victory.
In the fifth and final set, Azusa Pacific took a 10-5 lead. The Vikings began to battle back, as they took four of the next five points to cut the Cougar lead down to 11-9. A few points later, Azusa Pacific held a 13-10 lead. Western Washington once again would not do down quietly, as the Vikings took the next three straight points to tie the score at 13-13. With both teams' seasons on the line, it was the Cougars who found a way to get it done. Azusa Pacific took the next two points to win the set and match, 15-13.
The trip to the Sweet 16 is another layer of history for the Azusa Pacific volleyball program. The Cougars' first round 3-0 victory over Cal State Los Angeles yesterday was the first-ever NCAA tournament win in program history, and with each victory, the Cougars enter into previously uncharted waters in the NCAA era.
Azusa Pacific is now set to face the number one team in the nation, Cal State San Bernardino, for the West Region Championship and a trip to the Elite Eight in Denver, Colorado next week. The Coyotes, who are the West Region host, enter tomorrow's match 29-0 overall. Azusa Pacific and Cal State San Bernardino will meet on Saturday, December 6, at 7:00 p.m. in San Bernardino.
AZUSA PACIFIC POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE:
WESTERN WASHINGTON POSTGAME PRESSCONFERENCE:
