AZUSA, Calif. — Azusa Pacific's unbeaten start survived its biggest test yet Tuesday night, as the Cougars battled through five sets and the loss of senior Sarah Wilson to an injury to defeat Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 25-22, 24-26, 25-22, 17-25, 15-12, inside the Felix Event Center.
The victory pushed Azusa Pacific to 18-0 on the season and extended the Cougars' program-record winning streak to 18 consecutive matches.
Taylor Klatt stepped up offensively for Azusa Pacific with a team-high 15 kills while hitting .324, while Brynja Martin added 12 kills and Mylah Niksa finished with 11. Wilson recorded seven kills and 10 digs before exiting the match with an injury. The five-set battle was every bit as competitive as expected between two teams near the top of the SCIAC.
APU established itself early in the opening set, using 16 kills to take a 25-22 victory. CMS responded immediately in the second, surviving a late push from the Cougars to even the match with a 26-24 decision. Azusa Pacific answered with its most efficient offensive set of the night in the third. The Cougars committed just one attacking error on 38 attempts, hitting .395 with 16 kills to reclaim control of the match with another 25-22 victory and move within one set of extending their winning streak.
CMS, however, refused to let the Cougars finish the night in four. The Athenas produced their strongest offensive stretch of the match in the fourth set, recording 18 kills without an attack error and hitting .563. CMS pulled away for a 25-17 victory, sending APU to a fifth set for the first time during its record-setting run.
With the match down to 15 points and its undefeated season on the line, Azusa Pacific responded. The Cougars' defense held CMS to a .081 hitting percentage in the deciding set. APU recorded nine kills and delivered the points it needed late to secure a 15-12 victory and preserve its perfect record. The final numbers reflected just how evenly matched the two sides were. Azusa Pacific finished with a 69-66 advantage in kills and an 89-84 edge in digs. The Cougars also recorded six service aces and nine blocks.
Klatt's 15 kills led an APU offense that placed three players in double figures. Martin finished with 12 kills, while Niksa added 11 kills and four blocks. Klatt also contributed five blocks.
Brooklyn Kostoff directed the Cougar offense with 32 assists and added three service aces, while Hunter Kwan contributed 23 assists. Flora Sebestyen anchored the back row with a match-high 28 digs, and Mia Medrano added 12.
Tuesday's victory represented more than another number in Azusa Pacific's historic start. The Cougars were pushed to five sets, lost one of their leading offensive players during the match and faced a CMS team that reached the NCAA Division III postseason a season ago. Still, APU found another way to win.
Eighteen matches into the season, the winning machine keeps rolling.
Azusa Pacific will return to action Saturday when the Cougars travel to Claremont to face Pomona-Pitzer.
