LA MIRADA, Calif. – Azusa Pacific fell in five sets at rival Biola on Wednesday evening, as the Cougars are now 4-5 overall and 0-1 in PacWest play.
Katarina Radisic had a team-high 14 kills, and Annaka Jorgenson added 12 as well. Aubrea Banfield finished with 20 assists, while Maggie Nielsen dished out 17. In the service game, Banfield registered three aces and Nielsen had two. Defensively, Kyra Palmbush had two solo blocks and a block assist, while Delaney Dunham had a solo block to go along with three block assists. Selena Balderas picked up a match-high 14 digs.
How It Happened: The Cougars looked to be in prime position to leave La Mirada with a victory on Wednesday evening, as the visitors took both the first and second sets of the match. In the first set, Biola took the first two points of the contest, but a 3-0 run by the Cougars put them up and they would not trail again in the opening frame, winning 25-20. Late in the second set, Biola was threatening to tie the match score at 1-1, as the Eagles held a 18-15 advantage. The Cougars would overcome the deficit, eventually taking the second set by a 25-23 score.
Biola would begin its comeback in the third set, by flipping an 18-17 deficit into a 22-18 advantage following a streak of five unanswered points for the hosts. A late push by the Cougars would come up short, and the Eagles captured the set 25-21 to force a fourth set.
The Eagles held the lead for much of the fourth set, and Biola served a match point at 24-20. The Cougars were able to fight off three match points, getting the score as close as 24-23, but Biola would shut the door on the set for the 25-23 set win to send it to a match-deciding fifth set.
With a raucous crowd behind them, the Eagles surged ahead in the fifth set by winning the first four points. While the Cougars were able to get back into the set and trail by just one point at 9-8, Biola never surrendered the lead in the final set, and the Eagles captured the match victory with a 15-11 triumph.
By The Numbers: While both teams had a significant presence at the net defensively, the Eagles posted a 14-9 advantage in total blocks. The Cougars' nine blocks is a season-high thus far. Azusa Pacific had 11 service errors, which marks the first time this season that the team has hit double-digits in that category.
Up Next: The Cougars will make the quick trip down the 57 South to Pomona, where they will take on Cal Poly Pomona on Tuesday, September 13 at 6:00 pm. The match will be Azusa Pacific's final non-conference contest of the regular season, with PacWest play set to resume on Friday, September 16, when the Cougars host Dominican for the 2022 home opener in the Felix Event Center at 6:00 pm.
