FRESNO, Calif. – Azusa Pacific earned a 3-0 (25-22, 26-24, 29-27) win over Fresno Pacific to improve its overall record to 11-6 and 7-3 in PacWest play. The win marks the Cougars' first victory on the mainland after losing back-to-back games against Hawai'i Hilo and Chaminade last week.
Entering the matchup against the Sunbirds, the Cougars were fourth in the conference, trailing both Hawai'i schools they fell to last week and an undefeated Point Loma, which ended Azusa Pacific's previous seven-game winning streak.
In Friday night's match,
Sarah Wilson led the Cougars' attack with 17 kills—her second-highest total this season—along with a career-high 17 digs.
Katelyn Sonnier also contributed significantly with a career-high 13 kills.
Anya Green and
Amanda Albertini each added three blocks, while
Brooklyn Kostoff handled the setting duties, recording a career-high 35 assists over three sets.
How it Happened: The Sunbirds jumped to an early 10-7 lead in the first set, but the Cougars responded with an 8-1 scoring run to take a 15-11 lead. Although the set remained close, Azusa Pacific never surrendered its advantage, ultimately winning 25-22.
In the second set, the Cougars opened with a 6-2 lead, thanks to three service aces from
Makayla Chiechi within four points. The Sunbirds fought back with a four-point run to tie it at 6-6, but the Cougars then surged ahead with a five-point run to regain a 12-7 lead. The Sunbirds managed to tie the set multiple times, even reaching match point at 24-22, but Azusa Pacific rallied with four straight points to win 26-24.
The third set began with the Sunbirds taking a 10-6 lead, which they later extended to 20-14. However, the Cougars stayed composed, piecing together a 6-1 scoring run to narrow the gap to 20-22. Once again, the Sunbirds found themselves on set point, but, mirroring the previous set, Azusa Pacific scored four consecutive points yet still needed to win by two. With both teams trading set point opportunities, the Cougars ultimately finished strong, clinching the final set 29-27.
By the Numbers: Both teams had a nearly identical hitting efficiency with Azusa Pacific finishing with a .244 hitting percentage and Fresno Pacific posting a .245 percentage. However, the Cougars had just 11 errors while the Sunbirds finished with 17. Across three sets, the match saw 18 tied scores including eight in the final set, and 11 lead changes.
Up Next: The Cougars will take a week-long break before making a short trip down the freeway to Biola on October 25th with game time set for 5:00 pm. This match will mark their fourth consecutive road game and the second match of the Cornerstone Cup series. In their last meeting, the Cougars secured a 3-0 sweep over the Eagles and will aim for a repeat before returning home for back-to-back games.
