HONOLULU, HI – Hawai'i Pacific volleyball (4–14, 0–4 PacWest) showed grit and growth at home Thursday night, pushing Azusa Pacific (6–8, 2–2 PacWest) to the brink in multiple sets before falling in a closely contested 3–0 match (20–25, 17–25, 27–29) inside the Shark Tank.

The Sharks came out swinging behind Sofia Cooper, who paced the offense with 9 kills on an impressive .350 hitting percentage, while Lindsey Tapp and Marley Sandoval added 8 and 6 kills respectively. The HPU attack found its rhythm late, tallying 16 kills in the third set as the Sharks fought off multiple match points before narrowly dropping a marathon finish, 29–27.

Defensively, Taylor Kaoihana anchored the back row with 11 digs, while Ella Schoene and Cooper combined for 8 total blocks to slow down the Cougar attack. Setter Maile Salang directed the offense with 16 assists, and Jordyn McCutcheon contributed 13 assists and seven digs in a balanced setting effort.

After a competitive opening frame that featured six ties and long rallies, HPU continued to show offensive balance and improved efficiency across the match, hitting .178 in the final set—its best mark of the night.

The Sharks will look to build on the positive momentum and high-energy play as they continue their PacWest homestand.