AZUSA, Calif. – The Cougar volleyball team made the most of their return home, turning Hawai'i Hilo aside in straight sets 25-19, 25-11, 25-17 Monday evening inside the Felix Event Center.  Annaka Jorgenson had a team-high 14 kills to lead the way on offense as the Cougars hit a blistering .349 as a team for the match.

How It Happened: After a service error to start the match, the Cougars quickly took the lead, as they rattled off 12 of the next 15 points and would not trail again at any point in the next two sets.  Kyra Palmbush was effective at the middle block in the early part of the set, registering four kills in the set, while Jorgenson had five.  Five different Cougars had a kill in the opening set, while three blocks helped them hold off a late Vulcan charge to take the first set, 25-19.

The Cougars led the second set wire-to-wire, winning 9 of the first 11 points and never looking back.  Azusa Pacific would record an error-free set, recording 10 kills on 25 attacks for a .400 hitting percentage in the middle frame.  Jorgenson had half a dozen kills in the set, while the team came up with four more blocks and two aces from Kelsie Bothof allowed the home team to run away with the set, 25-11.

The third set was back and forth early on, with the teams trading five consecutive sideouts to start the set and seeing the score tied five times in the first 12 points.  While the Cougars would use a 4-1 run to build a small lead, the Vulcans pulled within a point again at 14-13.  But then a Katarina Radisic kill sparked a 5-0 run to give Azusa Pacific a lead they would not relinquish.  

Inside the Numbers: The Cougars' .349 hitting percentage on the night was their second-best mark of the season, trailing only the .360 they put up against Dominican 10 days ago.  Seven Cougars had a kill on the night.  Jorgenson had 14 kills and a pair of block assists in the contest.  Ioanna Georgatzi and Delaney Dunham each had a hand in five of the Cougars' nine blocks on the night.  Libero Hailey Patino had 13 digs to lead the defense, while Bothor had three of the team's four aces serving. With tonight's victory, Cougar head coach Chris Keife has now won 399 matches as the leader of the program at Azusa Pacific.

Up Next: The Cougars (7-7, 3-2 PacWest) continue their Hawai'i homestand when they host Hawai'i Pacific on Wednesday night.  First serve in the Felix Event Center is scheduled for 6:00 p.m., and the match can be seen live HERE.

POSTGAME INTERVIEW - KYRA PALMBUSH & ANNAKA JORGENSON