OLIVER KIMOKEO | sports editor
courtesy | APU ATHLETICS
The Cougars had the game in its grasp at times but ultimately could not reach far enough for the win over Biola


Volleyball is denied a trip to the NAIA national tournament.

The volleyball season for 2007 is officially over for the Cougars. In a Region II first-round game, Biola recorded its second sweep of APU in eight days to put an abrupt end to the Cougar season on Nov. 13.

Despite being ranked No. 5 in the NAIA, the Cougars will miss out on the national tournament because the bracket will only allow four GSAC teams to compete this year.

“It’s always disappointing to know that your season’s done, but at the same time, we’re ranked fifth in the nation,” head coach Chris Keife said. “The rules state right now that we’re not able to go. I think we deserve to go to nationals, and Point Loma Nazarene and Vanguard also deserve to be there. It just happens that one of the teams tonight wasn’t able to go.”

APU closes the season with an overall record of 21-10 and a GSAC record of 12-8. This is the fourth consecutive season in which the Cougars have had 20 wins or more.

Prior to 2007, the Cougars have not lost to Biola since Nov. 4, 2003. This year, the Eagles defeated the Cougars three times.

In Tuesday’s match, the Cougars did not have a lead in Game 1. Biola won the game, 30-25, but the Eagles did not hold a lead of more than five points at any time in the game.

The Cougars were able to gain a little momentum in Game 2 with 19-15 and 24-20 leads. However, those leads turned into a 26-24 deficit. The Cougars won the next two points thereafter to tie the score at 26-26. Then, the Eagles took control and earned the last four points for a 30-26 win and a 2-game lead in the match.

“We had a nice lead in that second game,” Keife said. “But we just ended up making too many errors toward the end that allowed it to slip by us. We had a comfortable lead for most of the third game, but the same thing happened as it did in the game before. We just didn’t execute as well as we should have, and to Biola’s credit, they did execute the way they needed to.”

In the second game, sophomore outside hitter Jill Baker broke the single-season kills record set by Lenee Hill in 1991. Baker finished the game with 23 kills and 615 kills for the season.

“Jill had a phenomenal match and I’m happy she got that record,” Keife said. “She’s done a great job for our team this whole season, and to see that in a sophomore is just exceptional.”

Junior Allison Kincheloe led the Cougars with 36 assists while senior defensive setter Alison Pattison led the team with 18 defensive digs.

The Cougars led for the majority of Game 3 as well, but failed to stop the Eagles in the clinching game for Biola. Once again, the Cougars held a 24-20 lead but the Eagles responded with four consecutive points. Until then, the score went back-and-forth between the two rivals until Biola closed the game, 32-30 at the end.

There was a 30-minute stoppage of play as medical personnel tended to an undetermined injury suffered by junior defensive setter Laura Stiles on the 29-29 point. She was wheeled off the floor eventually.

APU was consistent through most of the season. The Cougars lost all eight games to the GSAC top four and won all twelve games over the GSAC bottom six. They rolled through their non-conference schedule with a fury, picking up six sweeps in eight games.

For 2008, the Cougars will return the majority of their young squad. Seniors outside hitter Brianne Huff and Pattison will be moving on.

The Cougars finished the season at their highest ranking ever, but in pure ironic surprise, they will not be returning to the NAIA tournament where they competed the last two seasons.