SAN MARCOS, Calif. – In their first meeting ever, the Cougars lost 2-3 to undefeated Western Oregon in the team's first match of the Cougar Classic tournament at Cal State San Marcos.
Azusa Pacific rallied after dropping the first two sets before winning the third and fourth sets. However, the Wolves regained momentum to take the last set 15-8.
Delaney Tate led the team with a season-high 19 kills, including seven kills in the first set alone. Meanwhile,
Anya Green continues to be the team's top hitter with nine kills, only one error, and finishing the five-set thriller with a .276 hitting percentage.
Kendyl MacAskill contributed with ten kills, two solo blocks, and assisted on four blocks as well.
How it Happened: The Cougars started the first set with as big as a 17-10 lead but ran into two scoring runs by the Wolves. Despite Tate's seven kills in the opening set, including a final strike to tie the score 24-24, Western Oregon earned the first point of the match with a 26-24 win.
In the second set, kills from Green, McAskill, and Tate gave the Cougars a 4-0 lead the team ran into a 7-0 scoring run by Western Oregon. Azusa Pacific struggled to mount a run until they capitalized on three consecutive attack errors by the Wolves, narrowing the deficit to 20-23. However, it wasn't enough as Western Oregon secured another win, 25-21.
With their backs against the wall and a refusal to go down in three sets, the Cougars played with a renewed ferocity. In the third set, the score was tied five times, but Azusa Pacific couldn't gain the lead—until the very end of the match. The Cougars pieced together a 7-2 scoring run, capitalizing on the Wolves' four errors down the stretch. A decisive kill from MacAskill sealed the win for the Cougars and forced a fourth set.
Once again, the fourth set was a nail-biter as both teams tied up the score eight times as the lead changed five different times. Possessing a 19-18 lead, the Cougars regained possession following a service error by the Wolves. This mistake sparked a 6-1 scoring run for Azusa Pacific, during which Western Oregon made four errors, ultimately securing the set for the Cougars.
In a decisive fifth set, the Cougars jumped to an early 4-1 lead H.owever, the Wolves weren't ready to go down without a fight. They rallied later in the set with four straight kills to take a commanding 12-6 lead. But despite two additional errors down the stretch from the Wolves, they secured the match with a 15-8 win, backed by ten kills in the final set.
By the Numbers: Azusa Pacific managed to hold Western Oregon to their lowest hitting percentage of its season (.163) and forced the team to produce a season-high 29 errors. Despite finishing with a .153 hitting percentage themselves, the Cougars racked up 60 kills against the Wolves, their second-highest total of the season. The five-set thriller featured 20 tied scores, including eight in the fourth set alone.
Up Next: The Cougars will face their second opponent of Friday's doubleheader later this evening, taking on host Cal State San Marcos at 6 p.m. They also have another game scheduled for Saturday, where they will compete against Cal State Monterey Bay at 3 p.m.
