LA MIRADA, Calif. -- One hundred percent of the fans in Chase Gymnasium on Friday night were there to support the Biola Eagles, and following a five-set win by Azusa Pacific, one hundred percent of the fans went home disappointed. It was the first of two Cornerstone Cup matches this season, and it lived up to everything that a rivalry is expected to be. 

Four different Cougars finished with double-digit kills, led by Katarina Radisic's 17. She was joined in double figures by Annaka Jorgenson (15), Kyra Palmbush (12), and Mina Andjelkovic (10). Andjelkovic also had 26 assists, and Maggie Nielsen dished out 22 as well. Off the bench, Delaney Dunham delivered three service aces. Defensively, Palmbush finished with nine total blocks (three solo), Dunham added eight (two solo), and Bailey Henington picked up a game-high 29 digs. 

How it Happened: In the opening set, it was Biola that jumped out to a quick 9-3 lead, as the Eagles were beneficiaries of four Cougar miscues and created five of their own points off of kills. After taking the largest lead of the set at 12-5, Azusa Pacific woke up and began to find its rhythm offensively. The Cougars would start to chip away at the deficit, eventually knotting the score up at 17-17. Biola would take the next two points for a 19-17 lead, but the Cougars would respond by capturing four of the next five points to take a 21-20 lead. While the set would be tied on two more occasions, Azusa Pacific would not trail again in the opening frame, and the Cougars eventually secured the 1-0 match lead with a 25-22 set win.

The second set was one in which momentum kept swinging from one side of the net to the other, with both teams seeking to grab full control, only to have the opponent work their way back into it. To open the set, the Eagles scored the first point, however, a service error and three consecutive Biola attack errors gave Azusa Pacific a 4-1 advantage. A few minutes later, back-to-back Jorgenson kills put the Cougars up 7-4, but Biola would score four unanswered to regain the lead at 8-7. After Azusa Pacific would respond and leap ahead by a 12-10 margin, the Eagles were able to build the largest lead of the set for either team with a 6-0 run that made it 16-12. The Cougars scored four of the next five points to pull within one at 17-16, but they were unable to draw even or take the lead over the remainder of the set. The Eagles eventually claimed the set at 25-23, tying the match at 1-1.

The third set was the least competitive of the night, as the Cougars took an early 5-2 lead and continued to grow the margin consistently throughout the frame. Azusa Pacific's largest lead of the third set was 11, at 22-11. While the Eagles cut it down to single digits late at 22-14, the Cougars scored three of the next four points for a 25-15 set victory to regain the match lead at 2-1. In the third set, Azusa Pacific had its highest percentage of side outs at 81% (13-16). 

Seeking to close it out in the fourth set, the Cougars opened with a 10-7 advantage, but Biola would take the next four points to jump in front at 11-10. Azusa Pacific would take the lead right back with three unanswered points (13-11), however, the Eagles strung together six consecutive points that put the hosts up 17-13. While the Cougars would trail by one point on four occasions, Biola would not surrender the lead, hanging on for a 25-22 set win that forced the fifth and deciding set.

Despite dropping the fourth set, the Cougars were locked in to open the fifth. Azusa Pacific quickly took a 4-1 lead, and the Eagles would trail by two or more points for the remainder of the set. With the score at 13-10, Jorgenson recorded the 14th point of the set with a kill, and then Andjelkovic clinched the match with a kill of her own to make it 15-10. Azusa Pacific posted its highest hitting percentage of the match in the fifth, finishing at .368 (10-for-19 with three errors). 

By the Numbers: Overall, Azusa Pacific had a team hitting percentage of .211 (62-for-175 with 25 errors) and Biola finished at .135 (54-for-170 with 31 errors). The Cougars amassed 24 block assists and six solo blocks (team-high this season) at the net, while the Eagles had 12 block assists and four solo. The Cougars were able to overcome some struggles in the service game, as they finished with 11 service errors. It is just the second time this season in which Azusa Pacific has reached double digits in service errors. The Cougars are now 10-4 overall and 5-1 in PacWest action. 
Quotable: "I was very proud of our team tonight. A rivalry game on the road is always a huge challenge, and we showed a lot of resiliency and fight throughout the match. There were times where the momentum was firmly on their side and the crowd was behind them, but each time we responded with poise and kept our focus." - Head coach Chris Keife