OAKLAND, Calif. – Azusa Pacific swept Holy Names 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-21) on Monday night, which started the Cougars' road trip of three matches in three days up in the Bay Area this week. With the win, Azusa Pacific is now 9-8 overall and 5-3 in PacWest action.
Annaka Jorgenson reached double-figures in kills for the 12th time this season, as she tallied a match-high 16. Kyra Palmbush had nine kills, and she posted a hitting percentage of .400 or better for the ninth time this season, as she had 20 attempts and just one error for a .400 effort. Aubrea Banfield delivered three service aces in the match, and Hailey Patino added two aces. Three Cougars picked up 10 or more digs, led by 17 from Katarina Radisic, while Jorgenson (13) and Patino (12) joined her in double digits. At the net, Palmbush was credited with four block assists.
How It Happened: The Cougars and Hawks were locked at 12-12 in the opening set, when a Holy Names service error started a 4-0 run for Azusa Pacific that put the visitors up 16-12. From that point on, the Hawks would pull no closer than three in the set, and Azusa Pacific claimed five of the final seven points for a comfortable 25-18 victory to start the match.
Azusa Pacific opened with a 5-1 lead in the second, but the Hawks came back with six straight points to take their first lead of the contest at 7-5. A few minutes later, the score was tied 13-13 when a Hawks attack error gave the Cougars a 14-13 lead, and Aubrea Banfield served seven consecutive points to lead Azusa Pacific to a large 21-13 advantage. The Cougars maintained a lead of six or more points over the rest of the set, and a kill from Jorgenson closed the second frame out at 25-19 to give the Cougars a 2-0 match lead.
Late in the third set, the teams were tied at 16-16 when Holy Names' Priscilla Barnett found the floor for a kill to put the Hawks up by one. Jorgenson responded with a kill of her own to even the score once again, and a Hawks attack error, followed by a kill by Radisic put the Cougars ahead for good in the set at 19-17. Kendyl Macaskill delivered the match-clinching point by way of a kill assisted by Banfield that made it 25-21.
By the Numbers: The Cougars finished with six service aces in the match, and defensively, Azusa Pacific had a season-best average of 23 digs per set. Holy Names had a team hitting percentage of .096, which is the third-lowest number by a Cougar opponent this season. Azusa Pacific has now claimed all nine of its victories in straight-set fashion.
Up Next: The Cougars are back in action tomorrow evening, when they visit Dominican for a 6:00 pm match in San Rafael. Azusa Pacific beat Dominican in straight sets on September 15, which was the Cougars' home opener this season. The match can be watched here.
