HILO, Hawai'i - Azusa Pacific ended its three day trip to Hawai'i in the right way, as the Cougars beat Hawai'i Hilo in four sets (14-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-18) to improve to 7-6 overall and 4-1 in PacWest play. The Cougars won two of three matches this weekend.
Kyra Palmbush and
Sarah Wilson each finished with hitting percentages above .400, while also recording double-digit kills. Palmbush had 10 kills on 19 attempts (.474), while Wilson turned in 11 kills on 25 attempts (.440).
Annaka Jorgenson finished with a match-high 17 kills, and she also picked up 18 digs.
Maggie Nielsen finished with 26 assists, and
Brooke Bunker added 15 assists and a pair of service aces.
Paige Johnstone also had two service aces in the match, while also recording 20 digs to lead the Cougars.
How It Happened: The first set belonged to the Vulcans, as they jumped out to a quick 7-1 lead and remained in front for the entirety of the set. Down 0-1 in the match, the Cougars woke up in the second set, getting out to a quick 5-1 advantage. After Hawai'i Hilo pulled within a point at 8-7, Azusa Pacific won six of the next eight points to push the lead back up to five at 14-9. From that point on in the set, the Cougars maintained a lead of four or more, and the biggest lead of the set was 10 points at 22-12. After hitting just .147 as a team in the first set, the Cougars posted a match-best .444 hitting percentage in the second.
The Vulcans took the first point of the third set, but it would be their only lead of the frame. While the rest of the set was a close affair throughout, Azusa Pacific held the lead for good once it went up 3-2. A
Mackenzie Jensen kill gave the Cougars their largest lead of the set at 18-13, but the Vulcans would keep it from getting out of hand with three consecutive points to make it 18-16. Hawai'i Hilo threatened a comeback late, drawing within a point at 22-21, but the Cougars closed the set out with three consecutive points, as a pair of
Sarah Wilson kills sandwiched an ace by Bunker.
The Cougars opened the fourth set with a 6-1 run, and it was a lead that they held for good. With the score 17-15 later on in the set, Azusa Pacific scored six unanswered points to put the match out of reach for the Vulcans. From that point on, the Cougar lead would not drop below six points.
By the Numbers: The Cougars not only overcame a slow offensive first set, but they posted their best hitting percentage as a team this season, finishing at .346 on 55 kills over 136 attempts, committing a season-low eight attack errors. Defensively, Azusa Pacific had 71 digs, which is just three shy of its season-high.
Up Next: The Cornerstone Cup is next up on the Cougars' schedule, with rival Biola set to visit Azusa this Saturday, September 30, at 2:00 pm.
