By Jacob Norling
November 9, 2023
 
(AZUSA, Calif.) Westmont Volleyball could not keep up with the Azusa Pacific Cougars on Thursday night in southern California, as APU defeated Westmont in straight sets. The first set was up for grabs all the way to the finish, but as the night wore on, APU continued to distance themselves from the Warriors en route to the sweep.
 
"It was a tough match," acknowledged Westmont head coach Ruth McGolpin. "We struggled with our ball control, and it was rough. We know that playing in this division and this conference is going to be tough, but it's how we're going to respond to times like these that matters."
 
In the first set Westmont had leads of 5-1, 8-4, 10-5, and most notably, 20-16. With the finish line in sight, however, Westmont surrendered a five-point run to Azusa Pacific that flipped the set's momentum right as the game reached its climax.
 
Momentarily, Westmont responded to reclaim the lead at 23-22, but the Cougars answered with a pair of kills and a block to steal set one 25-23.
 
In the second set the two teams traded the first 30 points to a 15-15, but after the Cougars scored on a kill, an ace, and a Westmont error, the Warriors never again tied the set. Leading the Warriors 23-21, the Cougars ended set two with a kill and an ace to take a commanding 2-0 advantage.
 
Set three got out of hand very quickly for the Warriors, who blinked and found themselves trailing 8-2. Westmont scored once to make it 8-3 momentarily, but by the time Westmont scored next, APU had added seven to their total to lead 15-3.
 
Down 20-7 the Warriors scored six consecutive points to make it 20-13, only for Azusa Pacific to close out the match on a five-point run to win it 25-13.
 
"We have a great challenge in front of us, with the #24 team in the country coming in," said a forward-looking McGolpin. "We have to all look in the mirror, reflect, and be present. There's two practices left, and two games left. We know we get to finish things on our home court, and we're excited about that.
 
"I'm excited to see what we do on Saturday."
 
The Warriors return to Murchison Gym on Saturday night, when they host Point Loma in Santa Barbara. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and links to live coverage are available on the Westmont Athletics website.