IRVINE, Calif. - Azusa Pacific had the chance to take the court against one of the nation's top teams in No. 4 Wayne State (Neb.) on Saturday night, and the Cougars were beaten in straight sets (25-17, 25-13, 25-13).

Freshman Sarah Wilson tallied a team-high eight kills, while Paige Johnstone finished with 14 digs. At the net, Kendyl Macaskill finished with a career-high six block assists.

How It Happened: Wayne State was in control of the match from start to finish, as the lone lead for the Cougars came on the first point of the third set. 

In the opening set, the Wildcats used a 6-2 run to turn a 9-6 lead into a 15-8 advantage. Azusa Pacific was unable to get any closer than five points over the remainder of the first set. In the second set, the Wildcats were up 9-7 when they scored eight of the next nine points, including seven consecutive, to push the lead up to 17-8. The Cougars would draw no closer than eight from that point on.

Wayne State closed out the match in the third set with four unanswered scoring runs of three or more points, including two runs of four consecutive points won. The Cougars were only able to win consecutive points twice in the final set. 

By the Numbers: The Cougars finished with negative hitting percentages in the second and third sets, and their overall hitting percentage was .026 over 116 attempts. Across the net, Wayne State finished at .270 over 115 attempts. The Wildcats controlled the net all match, finishing with 13 total blocks. 

Up Next: Next week, the Cougars (1-3) will play their home opener on Thursday, Sept. 7, when Simon Fraser visits the Felix Event Center for a 6:00 pm match. Simon Fraser will enter that match with a 3-1 record.