SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Azusa Pacific closed out its 2022 season, losing on the road at Point Loma in four sets. The Cougars finish the campaign with a 15-14 overall record, and an 11-9 mark in PacWest play.

Katarina Radisic led the Cougars in kills with 12 in her final game with Azusa Pacific, while Annaka Jorgenson joined her in double-digit kills with 11. Aubrea Banfield wrapped up her collegiate career with a 24 assist performance. Kyra Palmbush had seven block assists defensively, while also tallying six kills on a hitting percentage of .462 (13 attempts). Kaitlin Craig, who also played her final game in a Cougar uniform, had five block assists and a solo block, as well as eight kills. Hailey Patino picked up a match-high 22 digs.

How It Happened: Point Loma opened the match by holding off the Cougars by a 26-24 score in the first set. The Sea Lions had a 24-20 lead late, but Azusa Pacific fought off four consecutive set points to tie it up at 24-24, before back-to-back kills by Point Loma put the hosts up 1-0. 

In the second set, the Cougars held a late 23-18 advantage, but Point Loma roared back to knot the tally at 23 all to force an Azusa Pacific time out. Following the timeout, Annaka Jorgenson delivered a kill to make it 24-23 Cougars, and Kaitlin Craig delivered the set-clinching point with a kill to tie the match score at 1-1.

The third set was a back-and-forth battle, with four lead changes and 11 ties. The set was tied as late as 21-21, but Point Loma would take four consecutive points to steal the set and secure a 2-1 match lead.

The Sea Lions would close the match out in the fourth set, winning 25-16. While the Cougars took an early 7-4 lead, Point Loma would score nine unanswered points to go up 13-7, and from that point on, Azusa Pacific would draw no closer than five points for the remainder of the set.

Up Next: The Cougars closed out the season with a winning record, which makes it eight out of the last 10 seasons in which Azusa Pacific has done so. While head coach Chris Keife will lose three key veterans to graduation (Katarina Radisic, Kaitlin Craig, Aubrea Banfield), a talented group will return for the Cougars next season, including Annaka Jorgenson and Kyra Palmbush. The Cougars will seek to make a push for their third PacWest title in program history, and return to the West Regionals once again.