CHICAGO, Ill. – Alexa Edwards and Biamba Kabengele recorded double-digit kills as the Pacific volleyball team earned a 25-16, 26-24, 28-26 straight-set victory over Chicago State Thursday afternoon at the Jacoby Dickens Center.
 
The Tigers (2-2) cruised through the first set of the match, taking control late as Edwards tallied three of her game-high 21 kills in the first frame. Trailing 12-10 midway through the set, the Tigers rattled off seven straight points to take a commanding 17-13 lead. The team put together a late 5-0 run to close out the set, taking control of the match in the early goings.
 
Recording her ninth career 20-kill performance, Edwards continues to lead the West Coast Conference in that category, tallying 73 kills in four matches this season while also leading in kills per set with 5.21.
 
The Cougars (1-3) jumped ahead in the second set and came within two points of tying the match before the Tigers used kills from Edwards, Sedona Sherman, and a service ace from Jenna Heller to jump ahead. Leading 24-23, the Tigers won two of the following three points, capped off by a Kabengele kill, to secure the second set.
 
Kabengele finished the match with 14 kills, a season-high, as she has recorded back-to-back double-digit kills to start her career with the team. In two matches so far for the Tigers, the senior from Burlington, Ontario, has totaled 24 kills, ranking third best on the team, and has totaled 19 digs and three blocks.
 
Similarly, the Tigers came from behind in the third set, erasing an early 4-0 deficit to win the match. In a back-and-forth third set, the Tigers trailed late and saved set point twice before earning the last three points to secure the straight-set victory.
 
Jadyn Tubbs continues to lead the team on the defensive side of the ball as she tallied a game-high 17 digs. Her 53 digs through the first four matches of the season leads the conference while also ranking second with a 3.79 digs per set ratio.
 
"I thought it was a great team effort, and we competed especially at the critical points," Head Coach Greg Gibbons stated. "We will continue to improve on being consistent, and we have already made some improvements from a week ago." "We had a solid day passing, touching balls at the net, and working on transition."
 
Pacific returns to action on Friday, Sept. 2, as the Tigers face off against UIC in a neutral match at the Windy City Invitational at the Jacoby Dickens Center.