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Azusa Pacific University Athletics

The Online Home of the Azusa Pacific Cougars
Loewent, Jacy1 - VB [2026]
Mick Wilson
3
Winner Azusa Pacific AZUSA PA 11-0, 0-0
1
Park-Gilbert (AZ) PARK 4-7, 1-4
Winner
Azusa Pacific AZUSA PA
11-0, 0-0
3
Final
1
Park-Gilbert (AZ) PARK
4-7, 1-4
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Azusa Pacific AZUSA PA 25 21 25 25 (3)
Park-Gilbert (AZ) PARK 23 25 19 18 (1)
3
Winner Azusa Pacific AZUSA PA 12-0, 0-0
0
Justice JUSTICE 1-9
Winner
Azusa Pacific AZUSA PA
12-0, 0-0
3
Final
0
Justice JUSTICE
1-9
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Azusa Pacific AZUSA PA 25 25 25 (3)
Justice JUSTICE 13 21 13 (0)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

Desert Stormed

CHANDLER, Ariz. -- The desert proved no obstacle for Azusa Pacific.

The Cougars completed a perfect 4-match, 2-day trip through Arizona Saturday, defeating Park-Gilbert in 4 sets before sweeping Justice University to improve to 12-0. APU defeated Park-Gilbert 25-23, 21-25, 25-19, 25-18 before returning to the court later Saturday for a straight set 25-13, 25-21, 25-13 victory over Justice.

The 2 victories came a day after Azusa Pacific swept Ottawa University Arizona in Surprise and defeated Benedictine Mesa. Thus, over roughly 30 hours, APU played 4 matches in 3 Arizona cities and came away with 4 victories, losing only 2 sets in the process.

Wilson, Loewen lead the way against Park

Senior Sarah Wilson turned in one of her finest all-around performances of the young season in Saturday's opener, pounding a season-high 20 kills on 46 attacks while hitting .283 and collecting 19 digs. The performance gave Wilson her third consecutive double-double of the Arizona trip after she posted 14 kills and 14 digs against Ottawa and 16 kills with 13 digs against Benedictine Mesa a day earlier.

Jacey Loewen provided another major offensive threat against Park, finishing with 15 kills on .324 hitting along with 6 block assists, while Jackie Winfield added 13 kills.

The Cougars needed nearly all of that production against a Park team that pushed APU throughout the first half of the match.

Azusa Pacific hit .308 with 17 kills in the first set but barely escaped with a 25-23 win. Park responded with its best offensive set of the match, hitting .281 while holding APU to .093 to win the second, 25-21. It was only the third set the Cougars have lost all year.
APU steadied itself in the third. Although the Cougars hit only .150, their defense held the Buccaneers to .089, and APU pulled away for a 25-19 victory. Then came a much sharper fourth set. The Cougars committed only 2 attack errors, hit .310 and closed the match with a 25-18 win.

The final numbers reflected how competitive the match had been. Azusa Pacific held advantages of 59-53 in kills, 54-50 in assists and 73-68 in digs, while both teams recorded 8 blocks and 4 aces. The Cougars nevertheless produced their best offensive set when they needed it most, out-hitting Park .310-.175 in the fourth.

Flora Sebestyen supplied 24 digs, her best total of the Arizona trip, and served 2 aces against the Buccaneers. Combined with the 15 digs she had against Ottawa and 19 against Benedictine Mesa Friday, Sebestyen amassed 58 digs over the first three Arizona matches.
Setter Brooklyn Kostoff  took on a larger role in the offense against Park, delivering 40 assists. That total matched a figure she reached in 2025 against Cal State Dominguez Hills, the match in which she passed 900 career assists. Hunter Kwan  added 10 assists and 2 aces against Park

Kostoff's 40 assists helped APU finish with 59 kills, its highest total of the Arizona trip.

Mia Medrano added 11 digs against Park, giving Azusa Pacific 3 players in double figures defensively. Wilson's 19 digs left her one shy of a 20-20 performance.

Second victory over Justice in eight days

The Cougars then completed their Arizona stay by sweeping host Justice. It was APU's second straight-set victory over the Lions in eight days. The teams had met the prior at the Felix Event Center.

Thirteen different Cougars played, with senior Brynja Martin leading the way with 10 kills and pair of block assists.  Junior Abby McGuyre chipped in with 4 kills and 4 block assists.

The Cougars were never threatened in the match, jumping out to a 13-5 lead in the first set, relying on a 9-4 run to assume a commanding 20-14 advantage in the second set, and then scoring the first 7 points of third and final set to secure the victory.
 
A perfect trip to Arizona

The Cougars' 12-0 record is the second-best start in the program's 41-year history.  The 2011 APU squad, also coached by current Head Coach Chris Keife, rolled out of the gate with 13 consecutive victories. This year's start has included remarkable consistency. Through Saturday, APU has won 10 of its 12 matches in straight sets, with only Hope International, Benedictine Mesa and Park-Gilbert managing to take a set from the Cougars.

For Wilson, the Arizona weekend was particularly productive. She had already accumulated 58 kills and 49 digs in 14 sets.

The Cougars return to California to face Occidental Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m. in Eagle Rock before returning home Sept. 26 for matches against Redlands and Westcliff.
 
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