AZUSA, Calif. -- The Cougars claimed their eighth straight victory on Friday evening, defeating visiting Dominican in three straight sets (25-16, 25-7, 25-22). The win improves the Cougars' record to 9-3 overall and 4-0 in PacWest play.

Annaka Jorgenson, Delaney Dunham and Ioanna Georgatzi each collected eight kills. Maggie Nielsen finished the match with 23 assists. Defensively, Bailey Henington collected 21 digs and Dunham had a game-high three block assists.

How it Happened: The Cougars opened the match with a first set win and never trailed at any point. Azusa Pacific took the first three points and held serve for three or more points on five different occasions in the opening set. With the Cougars leading 21-15, they broke away with four points to lead 24-15, before Dominican would score to make it 24-16. Azusa Pacific ended the set on a block by Katarina Radisic and Abby Hills. 

In the second set, the Cougars held possession over the course of six rotations, eventually taking an 11-2 lead. Kyra Palmbush, Jorgenson and Dunham each collected three kills in the set, while Cayla Broussard had nine digs for the Cougars. Azusa Pacific took the last four points of the match, eventually ending it by a score of 25-7 to keep the momentum on their side. 

The third set was a battle for the Cougars, as they went back and forth with the Penguins. Azusa Pacific took the first three points and took a 7-3 lead before Dominican started a come-from-behind effort, eventually tying it at 8-8. The Cougars eventually went up 14-10, but Dominican would not go away, forcing a tie as late as 21-21. Azusa Pacific took four out of the next points and completed the match by a score of 25-22, which was capped off by a Hills kill. In the final frame, Dunham led the Cougars with five kills and Henington held down the backline, picking up six digs.

By the Numbers: The Cougars finished with a .280 hitting percentage, compared to a .009 hitting percentage for Dominican. The second set was the most efficient for the Cougars, as they collected 14 kills and just one error over 29 attempts for a .379 hitting percentage. Azusa Pacific posted advantages in digs (57-46), kills (45-23), blocks (9-7), and points (54-28). In the service game, the Cougars collected four service aces while Dominican had one. 

Up Next: The Cougars will be back in the Felix Event Center on Wednesday, September 29th at 6:00PM, when they welcome the Concordia Eagles for a key matchup. 

POSTGAME INTERVIEW - IOANNA GEORGATZI & DELANEY DUNHAM