POMONA, Calif. - A wild back-and-forth match ended in Cal Poly Pomona volleyball falling in five sets to Azusa Pacific in the Broncos' home opener on Wednesday night.
The Cougars took the first frame 25-20 but then CPP rallied to capture sets No. 2 and No. 3, 25-23 and 29-27. APU finished strong, taking the fourth 25-21 and finishing with a 15-12 result in the final frame. Up next for the Broncos will be the start of California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) action with a 7 p.m. home match on Friday against Humboldt State.
Four Broncos collected double-digit kill totals on Wednesday, including a season-high 18 from
Deanna Blaine.
Andrea Bosnic added 13,
Kristen Hamlin delivered 12 with a team-best .391 attack percentage and
Alexandra Gresham contributed 11 kills.
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CPP won the blocking category 16-11 but the Cougars outhit the Broncos .187 to .162.
Desi Martin totaled a career-high 11 block assists.Â
The Cougars jumped out to a 7-1 advantage in the opening frame and kept a decent lead throughout that set. A kill from Julianne Miller wrapped up the 25-20 result for APU.
The visitors once again took a lead in the second set, holding a 9-5 margin to force a CPP timeout. The quick break worked for the Broncos as Blaine snapped the APU run. A 7-0 spurt for CPP put the home team ahead 15-13 as that rally was capped off by a triple block from Gresham, Martin and Bosnic. The Broncos held off a late push from the Cougars and took the frame 25-23.
The two squads traded leads late in the third set but CPP finished strong, getting a soft kill by Gresham to wrap up the 29-27 result and put the Broncos ahead 2-1 heading into the fourth. APU stole the momentum, taking the fourth 25-21 and finishing with a 15-12 result in the final frame.
CPP setter
Alina Smith matched her season best in assists with 44 while libero
Samantha Figueroa contributed 26 digs.
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