AZUSA, Calif. – The Cougar volleyball team proved their mettle Tuesday evening inside the Felix Event Center, staving off two match points and taking down long-time rival Concordia in five sets (25-19, 13-25, 18-25, 25-19, 19-17).
Annaka Jorgenson had a double-double with 21 kills and 13 digs for the home team in the victory.
How It Happened: The Cougars never trailed in the opening set, winning four of the first five points and stretching their lead to as much as six at 14-8. Concordia would rally to within a point, but three consecutive Golden Eagle errors would prove decisive, as the Cougars won the final five points of the opening set.
Furious over that hiccup, Concordia dominated the second set, hitting a blistering .395 while committing just a single error in the set. An 8-1 run blew the set open for the visitors, who would level the match. While the third set was more competitive, with the Cougars erasing a five-point deficit early on, Concordia again pulled away late, force feeding their star outside hitter Kirra Schulz, who had eight kills in the third and a match-high 29 overall, taking a two sets to one lead.
Having been pushed to the brink, the Cougars responded in the fourth, where freshman
Sarah Wilson stepped up, recording half a dozen kills of her own as Azusa Pacific hit .400 in the set with 16 kills for the team. The Cougars had a narrow lead for most of the set, taking control late with a 6-1 run, highlighted by consecutive blocks from
Kyra Palmbush, sending the match to a decisive fifth set.
Neither side would lead by more than three at any point in the final set, which would see 12 ties and seven lead changes. Both teams had multiple chances to end it, with each team successfully defending two match points. In the end, it would be the home side who won the final three points of the match; with Wilson again coming through for four kills in the final set, including a cross-court blast on match point to finish the job.
By the Numbers: Besides Jorgenson's 21 kills, Wilson had 15 and Palmbush finished the match with 11. Libero
Paige Johnstone had 29 digs, nine assists, and a kill. As a team, the Cougars hit .235 for the match. This was the first five-set match the Cougars have played this season. The victory snapped a five-game skid against Concordia that dated back to the pandemic-shortened spring 2021 season. Azusa Pacific leads the all-time series against Concordia, 42-31.
Up Next: Azusa Pacific (9-8, 6-3 PacWest) heads north to start a three-game road trip on Friday when they visit Fresno Pacific. First serve against the Sunbirds is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
