POMONA, Calif. – Azusa Pacific (4-6) was beaten in four sets by No. 25 Cal Poly Pomona on Tuesday night, and the match closed out the Cougars' non-conference portion of the schedule. Of the Cougars' nine non-conference opponents, four were ranked in the top-25 nationally.

Two Cougars finished the match in double figures for kills, as Annaka Jorgenson tallied 17 and Katarina Radisic had 12. Aubrea Banfield set up the Cougar attack all match, as she racked up nearly 10 assists per set with a season-high total of 39. At the net, Delaney Dunham had four block assists, while Kaitlin Craig added three. 

How It Happened: Azusa Pacific opened the match with one of its most efficient offensive sets of the season, as the Cougars posted a team hitting percentage of 40% with 13 kills on 30 attempts with just one error. It was the second time this season in which the team finished with a percentage of 40% or better in a set. The offensive officency, combined with a solid defensive effort, gave the Cougars a 25-14 first set victory.

While the Broncos would take the next three sets, the match was competitive throughout, with the two sides trading leads and the margin remaining within three points for most of the remaining action across the three sets. In the second set, Azusa Pacific had pulled within one point of the Broncos at 19-20, but Cal Poly used a late 4-0 unanswered run to add some cushion and win the set 25-21.

In the third set, Azusa Pacific held a late 22-20 advantage, but the Broncos would take five unanswered points to win the third set 25-22 and steal momentum with a 2-1 match lead.

Seeking to extend the match, Azusa Pacific held a 16-15 lead in the fourth set, but back-to-back points for Cal Poly flipped the score into a 17-16 advantage for the hosts, and the Cougars would not regain the lead for the remainder of what would ultimately be the final set of the contest. The Broncos wrapped up the match with a fourth set win by a 25-20 tally.

By the Numbers: Cal Poly Pomona had an impressive defensive showing at the net, with the Broncos matching the season-high for a Cougar opponent of 14 total blocks. Meanwhile, the Cougars notched seven total blocks. Following the Cougars' strong offensive showing in the first set, they struggled to find the rhythm over the final three sets, and Azusa Pacific closed out the match with 48 kills on 191 attempts and 19 attack errors for a team hitting percentage of 21%. Cal Poly Pomona finished the match just under 30% as a team, with the Broncos recording 55 kills on 129 attempts and 17 errors. For the fourth consecutive match in a row, Azusa Pacific did not commit a ball-handling error.

Up Next: The Cougars will finally take the court in the Felix Event Center, with their home opener set for Friday, September 16 at 6:00 pm when PacWest opponent Dominican visits Azusa. The following day, the Cougars will host Holy Names at 3:00 pm. If you cannot make it out to the matches in person, both contests will be streamed for free on the Azusa Pacific Athletics Network.