SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The last time that Azusa Pacific and Westmont took to the volleyball court as members of the same conference was on November 8, 2011. On that date, the Cougars earned a straight-set win, which was Azusa Pacific's 15th consecutive victory between the schools, as the two institutions were members of the Golden State Athletic Conference of the NAIA. Fast forward to October 6, 2023, and Azusa Pacific has increased its win streak to 16 matches over the Warriors in conference play, as the Cougars earned a 3-1 win (25-11, 17-25, 25-21, 25-22) on Friday night. The Cougars are now 8-8 overall, and 5-3 in PacWest play.
Sarah Wilson and Annaka Jorgenson shared the team-lead in kills with 11 apiece, while Kyra Palmbush, Mackenzie Jensen, Katelyn Sonnier and Kendyl Macaskill terrorized Westmont's attack at the net. Palmbush finished with eight block assists and a solo block, Jensen had seven block assists, Sonnier added six block assists, and Macaskill had four block assists and a solo block. In addition to their dominance at the net, Palmbush added seven kills and three service aces, and Jensen contributed seven kills. Paige Johnstone picked up 20 digs for the third time in the last four matches, while Brooke Bunker had 18 assists and 11 digs.
How It Happened: The Cougars were dominant in the first set, jumping out to a 16-6 lead. Azusa Pacific's largest lead of the opening set was 14, which it held at 22-8, 24-10, and once more at 25-11. The first set was the Cougars' most efficient offensive set of the evening, as they had a hitting percentage of .258 with 10 kills over 31 attempts.
Westmont leveled the match score with a 25-17 second set victory.
Early in the third, the Warriors were up 3-2 when the Cougars scored nine of the next 11 points to charge in front to a 12-5 advantage. Westmont was able to get back within three points at 16-13, but a pair of Jorgenson kills sandwiched a Warriors set error to stretch the lead back out to six at 19-13. Up 23-17, the Cougars had to fend off a late comeback from Westmont, as the Warriors once again drew within three at 23-20, but Wilson sealed the set with kills for the 24th and 25th points of the set.
The fourth set saw 10 ties and three lead changes, with the Cougars seeking to close out the affair while Westmont sought to force a fifth set. The latest tie score was at 21-21, but back-to-back attack errors from Westmont, followed by Jorgenson's 11th kill of the contest gave Cougars the match point at 24-21. Jensen would deliver the match-winning kill for the Cougars, securing the 25-22 set triumph.
By the Numbers: While the Cougars struggled to find offensive efficiency in the match, they stepped up defensively with a season-high 17 total blocks to find a way to earn the road victory. Azusa Pacific's dominance at the net led to the Warriors finishing with the third-lowest hitting percentage of a Cougar opponent this season, as they finished at .101. 17 total blocks is the most for the program since October 1, 2021, when the Cougars earned a five-set road win at Biola behind 18 total blocks. The Cougars finished with eight service aces, which is their third-most this season.
Up Next: The Cougars will be back in action on Tuesday, Oct. 10, when Concordia visits Azusa for a 6:00 pm match.
