AZUSA, Calif. – The middle of game of the Cougars' season-opening homestand did not go quite the way the home team was hoping for, as they dropped a four-set contest to Cal State Dominguez Hills (25-16, 19-25, 25-11, 25-23) Friday evening inside the Felix Event Center.
How It Happened: The Toros took control early, winning the first four points of the match and taking an early 8-2 lead. While the Cougars would claw their way back into the opening set, coming within a single point at 11-10, they could never pull even. After trading five consecutive sideouts, the Toros unleashed an 8-1 run to take command, eventually claiming the opening set 25-16.
The second set would be far more even from the jump, seeing seven ties and five lead changes en route to a 12-12 tie. Outside hitter
Delaney Tate had three consecutive kills near the end of that opening stretch to ensure that the home team would not trail again in the set. Tate would have six kills in the set in total, including the final point as the Cougars closed the frame on a 7-2 run to level the match.
Dominguez Hills dominated the third set from the moment they broke the huddle, winning eight of the first nine points, and hitting a blistering .611 in the third set overall. The Toros looked to have the match put away early in the fourth set, taking a 14-7 advantage. Azusa Pacific showed some grit, fighting back and tying the set at 21-all. But on a point the Cougars initially appeared to have won to re-tie the score was reversed by the officials, and while the Cougars were able to stave off two match points, they could not withstand a third.
By the Numbers: The Cougars were held to a .113 hitting percentage on the night. Tate had a double-double, finishing with 12 digs and a team-high 11 kills. Libero
Mia Medrano led the back row in digs with 16, while the middle blocker tandem of
Anya Green and
Amanda Albertini each had a hand in 3 blocks.
Up Next: Azusa Pacific (1-1) faces a short turnaround time as they have two games on tap Saturday. The Cougars will start at home against Alaska-Fairbanks at 10:00 a.m., before traveling down to Irvine to face Ursuline at 4:30 p.m. on the campus of Concordia.
