AZUSA, Calif. – The Cougar volleyball team simply didn't want to end their shortened 2021 season, as for the third time in as many home conference games, they went to a fifth set before falling to Biola, 22-25, 25-14, 25-22, 17-25, 11-15 Thursday evening at the Felix Event Center.  Annaka Jorgenson led the Cougars with 16 kills on the evening.  The team's two graduating seniors (who were recognized in a pre-game ceremony) both joined her in double figures, as Emma Svagdis had 14 kills and Amy Hinnant recorded 12.

How It Happened:  Biola jumped out of the gate with a 5-1 run to open the first set.  The Cougars would quickly rally to tie the set at 9-9, with Katarina Radisic scoring four kills in a five-point span.  That set up a closely contested rest of the set.  After the teams traded short runs to get to 15-14 in the Eagles' favor, the sides traded 10 consecutive sideouts.  The Cougars would keep it even as late as 22-22 before the Eagles ran off the final three points to claim the opening set.

The Cougars put forth a dominant effort in the second set, taking control with an early 5-0 run.  Another 5-1 run put Azusa Pacific ahead 13-6, and the lead would only grow from there.  Svagdis would get the kill on the Cougars' final three points of the set to level the match.  The Cougars hit .343 as a team in the second set, and they would get even hotter in the third, hitting .382 in the following frame.  Despite that blistering attack rate, the Cougars actually had to come from behind in this set, as Biola rode some outstanding serving of their own to a 12-7 lead before the Cougars tied up the set.  Jorgenson came on line in this set recording nine of her 16 kills in the third to put the Cougars up two sets to one.

From here, Biola showed why they are the 2021 PacWest Southern California Pod winners.  The Eagles opened the fourth set winning the first five points and never trailed again.  Svagdis and Hinnant combined for seven of the Cougars' 14 kills in the set, but the match would again go the distance.  The Cougars would run off five straight points to take an early 7-5 lead in the final set, but Biola would respond one final time with a five-point run of their own to seal the win.

Inside the Numbers:  Svagdis finished the game with 14 kills on a .314 hitting percentage to go with five digs.  Hinnant hit .367 and added two blocks while finishing just one kill short of her career high. The Cougars finish the shortened 2021 campaign with a record of 6-4, their fifth consecutive winning season.