LA MIRADA, Calif. — Azusa Pacific closed the Biola/Vanguard Kick-Off Tournament on a high note, outlasting Cal State Monterey Bay in a five-set thriller, 3–2 (25–16, 25–27, 25–23, 23–25, 16–14), on Saturday morning inside Chase Gymnasium. The victory snapped a three-match losing streak and pushed the Cougars' record to 4–3.
It wasted no time in the opening set, using a balanced attack and strong defense to seize control early. Behind efficient hitting from Jackie Winfield and Flora Sebestyen, the Cougars built a comfortable lead and closed out a 25–16 win, holding the Otters to a -.027 hitting percentage.
Set two was much tighter, as the teams traded points throughout. Brooklyn Kostoff distributed the ball well on her way to 49 assists in the match and pushed her past 1,000 in her young career. She would consistently Sarah Wilson on the outside, but Cal State Monterey Bay managed to rally late, sneaking past them 27–25 to even the match.
The third set saw them bounce back with resilience. Winfield began to find her rhythm at the net, delivering key kills, while Medrano and the Cougar defense kept long rallies alive. A late push gave the Cougars a narrow 25–23 win and a 2–1 match advantage.
However, the Otters weren't finished. In set four, Monterey Bay leaned on its blocking at the net to slow down it's attackers. Despite a strong showing from Sebestyen and Wilson, the Otters clawed out another 25–23 decision to force a fifth set.
The decisive frame was a tense back-and-forth battle. The Cougars and Otters traded momentum with nine ties and three lead changes. With the score knotted late, Winfield hammered down her 20th kill — a new career high — and Sebestyen followed with a clutch swing to give them a much needed victory.
Inside the Box Score
5.0 — Team blocks for the Cougars, led by Abby McGuyre's two block assists and one solo block.
9 — Service aces for APU, including two from Sebestyen, Winfield, and Wilson.
1` — Attack errors committed by Monterey Bay in the first set alone.
42 — Combined digs from Sebestyen (18) and Mia Medrano (24).
62% — Sideout percentage for APU in the opening set.
2:41 — Total match time, the longest of the Cougars' season so far.
Looking Ahead
Azusa Pacific will return home next week to host Menlo in non-conference action on Wednesday at 6PM.
