WHITTIER, Calif. – Azusa Pacific women's volleyball opened strong Tuesday evening, but the Cougars could not hold off Whittier, falling in four sets (25-15, 17-25, 21-25, 23-25) at the Graham Athletic Center.
The Cougars came out firing in the opening set, recording 14 kills on a .333 hitting percentage while holding the Poets to just eight kills and a .094 hitting percentage. Azusa Pacific controlled the frame offensively, securing a convincing 25-15 victory to take an early lead in the match.
Whittier responded in the second set, capitalizing on eight Cougar attacking errors while limiting Azusa Pacific to a .075 hitting percentage. The Poets evened the match with a 25-17 victory before carrying that momentum into the third set. Despite 13 kills from the Cougars, nine attacking errors proved costly as Whittier claimed the frame 25-21 to take a 2-1 advantage.
Facing a must-win fourth set, Azusa Pacific found its offensive rhythm again, recording 14 kills while hitting .294. However, Whittier answered with 17 kills of its own, holding off the Cougars 25-23 to complete the comeback.
Flora Sebestyen led Azusa Pacific with 14 kills and 18 digs, recording a double-double while hitting .306. Taylor Klatt added 13 kills on a .333 hitting percentage, while Brynja Martin contributed seven kills and 10 digs. Brooklyn Kostoff directed the Cougar offense with 26 assists and 12 digs, while Hunter Kwan added 18 assists and two service aces.
Defensively, Mia Medrano collected 15 digs, while Jacey Loewen finished with six total blocks, including three solo blocks. The Cougars held advantages in kills (52-48), assists (52-45) and digs (74-55), but Whittier's 10 service aces and 12 blocks helped the Poets secure the victory.
Azusa Pacific (22-4, 7-4 SCIAC) will return to the Felix Event Center on Saturday, October 31, for a doubleheader. The Cougars will face Chapman at 11 a.m. in SCIAC action before taking on West Coast Baptist at 1:30 p.m.
