After losing the first set to the La Sierra Golden Eagles, the Azusa Pacific volleyball team took three in a row to pull out a victory on its home court Tuesday night. The Cougars improved to 7-1 when they play at the Felix Event Center.
The Cougars took a swift lead, propelled by early dominance at the net by sophomore outside hitter Joy Reinke and freshman middle blocker Ashley Midland, who combined for five kills early on.
La Sierra came roaring back after falling behind 16-11, chipping away at the lead and getting several well-aimed shots to fall in the corners. The Cougars led the way most of the game and were in prime position to win when sophomore Jaden Louie got the call to serve with a 24-23 lead.
However, the Golden Eagles were able to steal victory at the very end, taking three points in a row and ultimately winning the first set on a pinpoint kill to the corner, 24-26. For the first time in the season, the Cougars won at home without sweeping their opponent.
Seizing the momentum, La Sierra jumped out to an early lead in the second set. Azusa Pacific, however, remained scrappy. Players fought La Sierra for every point, trading rallies back and forth early to stay tied for most of the first half of the match. Reinke helped the Cougars then, both serving and hustling to make plays in the back court as they scratched their way to a tie. She finished the night with eight kills and 21 digs. When tied at 14, the Cougars sparked an 8-1 run in order to establish a late 22-15 lead. They ended up winning the set 25-17
Set three saw seven lead changes and proved to be a challenge for both squads. Louie was a crucial player behind the scenes, serving up 11 assists. The Cougars needed several extra points to take game three from the tenacious Golden Eagles, winning 31-29 on a clutch serve by sophomore Ashley Swatek.
Sophomore Mattie Shelford helped lead the Cougars into the final set and finished with 13 kills. La Sierra took the lead late with a score of 18-21. Following a timeout, the Cougars went on a 6-1 rampage. Under great serves by senior Emily Ingalls and good teamwork, Azusa Pacific finally took a 24-22 lead. A convincing smash from senior Christy Cain punctuated the performance, with the Cougars taking victory 25-23.
Head coach Chris Keife had praise for his team afterward, but knew players were unsatisfied with their performance.
“It was a sloppy match all around, but I look in those moments that were key beyond the first set,” Keife said. “When we needed to make points, we scored points.”
The Cougars have seven matches in the next two weeks, playing Friday at Fresno Pacific and hosting fifth-ranked BYU-Hawaii on Nov. 7.