Senior middle blocker Christy Cain spikes the ball over the net in the sweep against Chaminade. Cain finished with eight kills and was involved in six blocks.
Photo by Steven Mercado
It was a special day for the three seniors of the Azusa Pacific women’s volleyball team. Middle blocker Christy Cain, defensive specialist Emily Ingalls and middle blocker/outside hitter Lauren Edwards played their last collegiate home match at the Felix Event Center and received special recognition for their contributions to the APU volleyball program. The Cougars appropriately swept the match against Chaminade (25-14, 25-17, 25-18).
“I thought we played well today,” head coach Chris Keife said. “Our girls wanted to close out not just the season at home well, but also just the seniors’ career at home well. We did a very nice job at the serving line.”
The Cougars’ performance was highlighted by nine service aces in the match and an efficient .266 attacking percentage. Cain tabbed eight kills with a .471 attacking percentage and was involved in six blocks. Edwards also put up eight kills along with two block assists. Sophomore outside hitter Mattie Shelford led the match in kills with 12 along with a .500 attacking percentage and two block assists.
The Cougars’ volleyball team is one win away from their 10th straight 20-win season, each of which was coached by Keife. In the 27 seasons prior to his arrival as head coach, Azusa Pacific only had ten 20-win seasons. Keife credits the girls for working hard and owning up to the program’s reputation.
“It shows what the girls are doing in practice [and] their belief in the program … We taught [those] that were recruited that hard work pays off,” Keife said. “It’s a testament to the girls who have been in the program that they continue to make improvement and make goals and they want to be successful.”
The next three games for the Cougars is another set of three consecutive games in three consecutive days, starting on Thursday, Nov. 14 at Notre Dame de Namur, followed by a match at Holy Names the next day and ending with a match at Dominican the day after.
“[Today] was the first time we’ve played back-to-back-to-back here, so we’ll be doing the exact same thing on the road and we just need to close out our season well in order to go in the direction we want to go as a team and go into the NCCAA playoffs, facing a familiar foe in Point Loma,” Keife said. “We want to keep building on this, keep improving and keep working on the little things that are going to get us there.”