The Cougars 3-0 win against Fresno Pacific gives APU a tenth straight victory
It was a big game for APU since it was the team’s senior appreciation night. The roster was celebrating the play of three seniors, as Julianne Miller, Aliyah Morrison and Sara Wagenveld played their final regular-season game wearing APU’s brick and black.
The game started strongly for the Cougars, as they showed their dominance early on. APU scored the first point of the first set and never gave up the lead, taking the first set 25-16. The combination of Miller, Morrison and Wagenveld earned 12 kills in the set.
The second set was even stronger for the Cougars, as they rode a 22-4 point run to beat their opponent by 18 points.
Head coach Chris Keife and his squad finished the job in the third set. They took an early 5-0 lead, and although the Sunbirds secured four of the next five points and made it a 6-4 deficit, the Cougars reclaimed the lead and ran away with the 25-17 win.
Wagenveld paced the Cougars with 15 kills while Morrison and Miller both earned eight, and freshman Annaka Jorgenson collected seven kills of her own. The trio of seniors also collected a total of seven blocks. Defensive specialist Bailey Hennington, once again, put up phenomenal numbers as she earned 31 digs, the fourth most she has earned all season.
For the team, it was their tenth straight victory this season, and they ultimately finished their season with a 26-4 record, along with a 20-2 PacWest finish. Although the Cougars had formidable competition within the conference, such as Hawai’i Hilo (17-4) and Chaminade (15-6), APU wreaked havoc in PacWest play, earning 14 three-set sweeps in their 22 games played.
Although their regular season has come to a conclusion, the team will now await to see their seeding and who they will play in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Division II Women’s Volleyball Tournament. Last season it was a first-round 3-2 exit to the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos that ended their strong campaign. With even a stronger season from these Cougars, certainly revenge is on the team’s mind and they will properly prepare for their next playoff journey.