AZUSA, Calif. — Azusa Pacific volleyball couldn't have scripted a better start to its 2025 campaign. Playing in front of their home crowd at the Felix Event Center, the Cougars picked up two quality wins on the opening day of the APU/CUI Tournament, defeating Texas Woman's in straight sets in the morning before rallying back in the afternoon to knock off Regis in four.

The 2–0 start showcased both the Cougars' composure in tense moments and their depth across the roster, qualities that head coach Chris Keife believes will define this year's team.

"The girls did a great job of keeping their composure during the tight moments," Keife said. "We want to be a steady team with no highs or lows."

Match 1: Azusa Pacific 3, Texas Woman's 0 (27–25, 25–23, 25–18)

The season opener was anything but easy. Texas Woman's pushed APU to the limit in the first two sets, but the Cougars stayed composed and found ways to close.

Set one was a back-and-forth battle with 13 ties and eight lead changes. With the score knotted at 25, it strung together two clutch points—capped by a kill from Jackie Winfield—to secure the set, 27–25. A similar story unfolded in the second, as APU edged out a 25–23 win thanks to balanced hitting and timely defense.

In the third, the Cougars finally created separation. Behind steady play from middle blockers Amanda Albertini and Sarah Wilson, APU hit .222 and took control early on the way to a 25–18 finish.

Winfield was the go-to option offensively, tallying 15 kills on .273 hitting, while Albertini was a model of efficiency with eight kills on just 21 swings. Wilson added seven kills of her own, and Katelyn Sonnier chipped in with four.

At the center of it all was setter Trinitee Carroll, who distributed the ball effectively with 15 assists and added two aces and 10 digs.

"Trinitee played great in both matches today," Keife said. "She did a great job of running our offense and allowing the hitters to be successful. She served and defended great."

Offensively, Brooklyn Kostoff was a force in the back row, finishing with 18 assists to set up huge points, while libero Mia Medrano contributed eight digs.

The result was a 3–0 sweep that looked comfortable on paper but revealed a Cougar team capable of staying steady under pressure.

Match 2: Azusa Pacific 3, Regis 1 (23–25, 25–20, 25–12, 25–19)

If the morning match was about composure, the afternoon was about resilience. After dropping the opening set to Regis, the Cougars responded with three straight set victories, steadily gaining control and eventually dominating the Rangers with a combination of firepower and balance.

Regis grabbed the opener, 25–23, taking advantage of its errors, but they settled in during the second. With Flora Sebestyen heating up on the outside, APU hit .167 as a team and controlled the final stretch to even the match, 25–20.

From there, it was all Cougars. Set three was the most decisive of the day where it hit .394 and cruised to a 25–12 win as Sonnier exploded for six kills on six swings and Sebestyen added five more. The team carried that momentum into the fourth, where Wilson and Winfield sealed the match with timely kills in a 25–19 victory.

Sebestyen finished with a team-high 16 kills and 17 total points, while Sonnier was nearly unstoppable, hitting .688 with 12 kills on 16 swings. Wilson added 11 kills on .267 hitting, and Winfield rounded out a balanced attack with 10.

Carroll again set the tone, dishing out 23 assists and adding three aces, while Medrano led the defense with 15 digs. Kostoff chipped in 10 digs, giving the them a stable backcourt presence.

"We want to be a team where we rely on everyone to get the job done," Keife said. "The more we can spread it out the harder we will be to defend."

The stat sheet reflected exactly that, as five Cougars reached double figures in either kills or digs, demonstrating the kind of depth Keife envisions for this group.

Milestone Watch: Medrano Approaching 500

The day also brought a spotlight on senior libero Mia Medrano, who is approaching career milestones. She is now just six digs away from 500 across her collegiate career (combined between APU and Cal State Dominguez Hills) and only 21 digs shy of 500 as a Cougar.