Box Score

SAN DIEGO - It is not often that fourth year seniors playing their last game can say they accomplished a career first but that is exactly what happen as Point Loma came from behind to defeat Azusa Pacific in five sets, 22-25, 25-20, 19-25, 25-23 and 16-14, for the volleyball team's first win there since 2006 (Nov. 15).
 
This was the seventh straight win for the Sea Lions. It allowed them to finish in third n the Pacific West standings with a 16-4 record (19-9 overall). Azusa Pacific closes the year in seventh place in the PacWest with a 10-10 record (14-15 overall).
 
PLNU still holds out hope to be picked to play in the NCAA West Regional next week. The Sea Lions will find out their fate on the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday (Nov. 16) at 7:00 p.m. (PST). The Selection Show can be viewed at http://www.ncaa.com/live/player?vid=2014/1841&date=2014/11/16
 
Alyssa Dwyer had a dominant game in the middle with 14 kills and a .565 hitting percentage. She had just one error in 23 swings. Heather Leavitt closed out her stellar PacWest season with a match-high 20 kills and career-best 28 digs.  Bethany Madon added 10 kills and Christin Fisher had 25 digs.
 
Savannah Wedemeyer came through with a career-high six service aces, including one on the final point to ice the match. APU took the first and third sets before PLNU rallied to win the fourth set 25-23 aided in large part by a 6-1 start to force a decisive fifth set.
 
Again the Sea Lions started the set quickly, taking six of the first eight points. They went up 8-3 before APU posted three straight points to tighten the match back up. The teams went back and forth and the teams found themselves tied at 14-14. Wedemeyer then found Leavitt for her 20th kill of the match and then Wedemeyer hammered an ace to give PLNU the victory 16-14.
 
"APU is always a big one, and they played really well" said PLNU head coach Jonathan Scott. "We had to earn nearly every point.
 
"Now we wait," added Scott. "The NCAA Regional selection is a difficult process because it's hard to really know what exactly you need to do to get in. We've finished with a win in our last seven matches, and that is all we can do."
 
Seniors Alyssa Dwyer, mcKensey Wise and Delaney McCraney had all gone their entire careers without ever beating the Cougars on the road but if this was their final match they will all walk away with a quality win to end their careers.