AZUSA, Calif. - Azusa Pacific improved to 2-0 in PacWest play, as the Cougars dispatched of Dominican in straight sets (25-22, 25-18, 25-18). The Cougars have now won four of their last five matches, earning two of those victories in 3-0 fashion. Azusa Pacific is now 5-5 overall.
For the third consecutive contest,
Annaka Jorgenson tallied double-digit kills, as she recorded a match-high 15 on a hitting percentage of .371 (35 attempts).
Kyra Palmbush finished with two solo blocks and six block assists,
Katelyn Sonnier had a solo block and four block assists, and
Kendyl Macaskill added four block assists.
Hailey Patino matched a career-high in service aces, delivering three aces for the Cougars.
How It Happened: Dominican held a lead as late as 16-15 in the opening set of action, but the Cougars used a 3-0 run to jump ahead 18-15. While the Penguins were able to draw even at 19-19, the Cougars would not trail for the remainder of the set. With Azusa Pacific up 22-21, the Cougars sealed the set victory by scoring three of the final four points, with Jorgenson claiming two of those points on her fifth and sixth kills of the set.
The Cougars fell behind early in the second set, facing a 10-4 deficit. A kill by
Sarah Wilson made it 10-5, and the Cougars claimed eight of the next night points to go up 14-12, a lead in which they would not surrender for the remainder of the set. The largest lead of the set was 10 points, when the Cougars went up 24-14.
The score was tied at 15-15 in the third set when a pair of Macaskill kills sandwiched a Jorgenson kill that started a 5-0 unanswered scoring run for the Cougars that put the hosts ahead for good to secure the sweep and the match victory.
By the Numbers: Azusa Pacific set a new season-high in total blocks, finishing with 14. The Cougars recorded four solo blocks, which is a season-high, and 20 block assists, which matches their season-best number. The Cougars held Dominican to a hitting percentage of just .064, which is the second-lowest number by an Azusa Pacific opponent so far this season. The Cougars are now 20-2 all-time against the Penguins, and the Cougars have won 11 straight matches, dating back to the 2016 season. Azusa Pacific is also 12-0 in home games against Dominican.
Up Next: Next week, the Cougars will travel to Hawai'i for three matches in three days against a trio of PacWest opponents. Next Friday (Sept. 22), Azusa Pacific will open the trip at Hawai'i Pacific. The following day, the Cougars will take on nationally-ranked Chaminade, which currently sits at No. 14 in the country. On Sunday (Sept. 24), Azusa Pacific will close out the trip at Hawai'i Hilo.
