box score

SAN DIEGO – NAIA No. 17-ranked Point Loma Nazarene couldn't maintain leads and would fall in four sets to seventh-ranked Azusa Pacific Saturday night in Golden Gymnasium (30-28, 15-25, 25-23, 25-18). It was the third-straight loss for Point Loma which fell to 13-7 overall, 5-7 against conference opponents.

PLNU had a golden opportunity to claim the opening set after going up by five points midway in. The Cougars tracked the Sea Lions down, however, at 19-all. Still, after a few back-and-forth rallies, PLNU was serving for the set at 24-22, yet were unable to close the deal.

The team's failure to take the opener was magnified by its inability make a 7-1 lead hold up in the third. But PLNU's 10-point triumph in the second was followed by a come-from-ahead loss in the set three.

Azusa Pacific (22-5, 9-3) didn't have any much trouble playing ahead. The Cougars went up early in the fourth, and though the Sea Lions put up a fight, APU went on to a 25-18 set-clinching win.

The Sea Lions had more kills 60-51 than did APU and had more blocks (13-9), but made 28 attack errors and eight service errors to aid the visitors. The two teams both hit .206 in the match.

Tabitha Henken slammed down 17 kills for PLNU in the losing effort. Delaney McCraney had 15 winners and Alyssa Dwyer contributing 14 winners and six blocks. Aimee Bird dished out 46 assists and had five blocks while both McCraney and Caitlin Bernardin had 14 digs. Destiny McIntyre had six blocks and five kills.

Jackie Landers led APU with 14 kills with Whittany Radcliff adding 12.

The Sea Lions will be in Costa Mesa on Tuesday to take on Vanguard starting at 7:00 pm.