HONOLULU, Hawai'i – Fighting shorthanded, the Cougars gave 10th-ranked Chaminade a stiffer challenge than they might have anticipated, taking a set off the Silverswords before falling in four (25-15, 25-27, 25-19, 25-17) Saturday evening inside McCabe Gymnasium.

How It Happened: Azusa Pacific was battling not just the Silverswords, but also a stomach virus that resulted in the team only being able to dress seven players for the match, meaning that the libero was the only substitution available. The Cougars did their best to try to fight point for point early on, keeping within 12-9 in the first set before the Silverswords pulled away with a 6-1 run. Chaminade hit a blistering .409 in the set and added in four service aces as they pulled away for a 25-15 score in the opening frame.

The Cougars made their stand in the second set, using a 5-1 run to take a 12-6 lead. The Cougars had 14 kills in the set in all. Sarah Wilson led the attack in the set with five kills, but the Silverswords fought back and had set point on their serve at 24-23. But Wilson's fifth kill of the set denied that point, extending the set; and after the teams traded points, back-to-back kills from Delaney Tate and Kendyl MacAskill were enough to level the match for Azusa Pacific.

The third set was where the numbers game really started to catch up to the Cougars. Fresher because they had substitutions they could make, the Silverswords opened the third set on an 11-4 run and never looked back. Of the first five points the Cougars won in the set, four were because of Chaminade errors. While the Cougars would keep up the fight, Chaminade would never really let them back in it, taking the third 25-19.

The Cougars kept things close early in the fourth, coming back from an early deficit with a 4-1 outburst and eventually tying the set at 14-14 on Wilson's 13th kill of the evening. However, Chaminade found another gear, finishing the match on an 11-3 run, as the Silverswords followed up their .464 hitting percentage in the third by hitting an equally-impressive .440 in the fourth to remain undefeated in conference play.

By the Numbers: Wilson had a team-high 13 kills, the sixth time she has reached double figures this season. Katelyn Sonnier added nine kills, while Tate added eight kills and nine digs.  Mia Medrano led the defensive effort with 17 digs. MacAskill had seven kills and four blocks; Brooklyn Kostoff handed out 32 assists;  and in her collegiate debut, Abby McGuyre added in two kills and a block assist. 

Up Next: Azusa Pacific (10-6, 6-3 PacWest) will remain on the road as it looks to snap a two-game losing skid, next heading to Fresno Pacific. First serve against the Sunbirds is set for Friday at 5:00 p.m.