COSTA MESA, Calif. — Azusa Pacific opened play at the Biola/Vanguard Kick-Off Tournament on Friday morning but could not find its rhythm in a straight-set loss to Stanislaus State (25–20, 25–18, 25–19). The defeat drops the Cougars to 3–2 on the year.

It started slow in the opening set, struggling to find consistency on offense while the Warriors attacked efficiently at a .267 clip. APU put together a late run to close the gap but dropped the set 25–20.

The second frame was marked by back-and-forth play early, with seven ties and four lead changes, but Stanislaus State pulled away midway through the set thanks to strong serving and net play, taking it 25–18. In the third, it tried to rally, but the Warriors again kept the their offense off balance and finished the sweep 25–19.

Inside the Box Score

• .097 — APU's hitting percentage, compared to Stanislaus State's .261.

• 43–29 — Kill advantage for the Warriors.

• 10 — Team-high digs for Mia Medrano, anchoring the Cougar defense.

• 23 — Assists by Brooklyn Kostoff, accounting for 85% of the team's total.

• 10 — Kills for Jackie Winfield, her fifth straight match with double-digit kills.

• 16 — Total ties across the three sets.

• 8 — Service aces for Stanislaus State, keeping APU off balance.

• 3 — Blocks contributed by Mylah Niksa (1 solo, 2 assists).

Looking Ahead

The Cougars will look to bounce back quickly with another tournament match later today against Permian Basin. Azusa Pacific will make the quick drive to Chase Gym in La Mirada as it seeks to regain momentum and return to the form that carried the team to a 3–1 start.