AZUSA, Calif. – Playing on its home court for the first time this season, Azusa Pacific earned a PacWest conference win by way of a straight-set sweep of Dominican (25-11, 25-20, 25-11).

Annaka Jorgenson was at the center of the Cougars' offensive attack throughout the match, recording 16 kills on 31 attempts to post her season-best hitting percentage of .484. Aubrea Banfield had 35 assists in the match, and her 11.6 assists per set was a season-best rate.

How It Happened: Azusa Pacific had little trouble with the Penguins in the first and third sets, with the Cougars taking both by a 25-11 score. The first set was highlighted by a 9-0 run for the Cougars, and the third set saw Azusa Pacific score four unanswered points on three different occasions. 

The second set was the lone competitive segment of the evening, as it saw 13 ties and nine lead changes. Dominican's latest lead was at 16-15, but a kill by Kendyl Macaskill jump started a 4-0 run for the Cougars that saw the hosts grab a 19-16 lead. Azusa Pacific would maintain the lead for the remainder of the set. In the second frame, the Cougars turned in their best team hitting percentage in a set this year, racking up 17 kills on 31 attempts with just three errors for a percentage of .452.

By The Numbers: Not only did the Cougars post a new team-high for hitting percentage in a single set, Azusa Pacific also set a new match-best percentage of .400 with 45 kills on 95 attempts with a season-low of seven attack errors. Azusa Pacific had six players finish with hitting percentages above .400, including Jorgenson, Kyra Palmbush (.500 on 12 attempts), Katarina Radisic (.455 on 11 attempts), Jaela Bernard (.429 on seven attempts), Delaney Dunham (1.000 on three attempts), and Lindsi Hawkins (1.000 on one attempt). For the third consecutive match, the Cougars had at least seven service aces. Banfield finished with two, while Jorgenson, Dayton Robinett, Hailey Patino, Ioanna Georgatzi and Macaskill each had one. The Cougars have now earned all five of their victories this season in straight-set fashion.

Up Next: Azusa Pacific is 5-6 overall (1-1 PacWest) and will turn its attention towards PacWest opponent Holy Names, with the Hawks set to visit the Felix Event Center tomorrow at 3:00 pm. Prior to the match, the Office of Alumni Engagement at Azusa Pacific is hosting a tailgate from 2-3 pm on Lower Kresge Plaza, which is just outside of the Felix Event Center. Hot dogs, drinks and snacks will be available for purchase, and to register for the event, click here.

POSTGAME INTERVIEW: ANNAKA JORGENSON & AUBREA BANFIELD