LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- The NAIA’s No. 3-ranked Azusa Pacific took 2 of the 3 singles matches that went into extra sets after sweeping doubles action, and the Cougars came away with their first victory of the season, a 4-3 win over NCAA Division I Loyola Marymount in the season opener Wednesday afternoon.

With the Cougars leading the match by a narrow 3-2 margin with just 2 singles matchups still going, sophomore Daniel Moore rallied from being down a set and a break, posting a 3-set win that clinched Azusa Pacific’s first victory in 5 tries against an NCAA Division I program over the past 2 years. The Cougars’ last win over an NCAA Division I program was a 5-2 victory in the 2007 season opener.

“If this had been last year, I’m not sure if Daniel would have pulled this one out,” said Azusa Pacific head coach Mark Bohren, “but he played really hard through all the pressure, kept his poise and came away with the win.”

The Cougars swept all 3 doubles matches to claim the doubles point, with 2 Azusa Pacific pairs posting narrow 2-game victories. Moore and junior Ronald Chow claimed an 8-6 victory at No. 2, and freshmen doubles tandem Jack Zapala and Janosch Apelt edged out the Lions’ No. 3 tandem, 9-7.

“For our first match, we played good doubles,” Bohren said. “We started a little bit flat, but we came on strong in the end. We were down in a lot of the matches today, but our guys just battled all afternoon.”

Apelt gave Azusa Pacific its second point with a straight-sets victory at No. 4 over Borja Malet, and junior Matthijs Bolsius put victory within reach with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 win in the top singles spot. Moore’s win at No. 5 ensured put the match away without needing to win the No. 6 singles slot, where freshman Whitman Hough had gone to a third set with Johan Berhof after winning the opening set.

With the win, Azusa Pacific is now 1-0 on the season heading into next week’s Golden State Athletic Conference opener at No. 5-ranked California Baptist. That match is scheduled, weather-permitting, for 2 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 16, in Riverside. The Cougars will host the first-ever on-campus home match at the brand-new Munson and Bavougian Tennis Courts on Saturday, Feb. 21, when they host Point Loma Nazarene beginning at 11 a.m.

SINGLES
1. Matthijs Bolsius (APU) def. Ivan Lopez (LMU); 6-2, 2-6, 6-2
2. Aram Abgaryan (LMU) def. Mathias Weber (APU); 6-2, 6-3
3. Renzo Maggi (LMU) def. Ronald Chow (APU); 6-1, 6-1
4. Janosch Apelt (APU) def. Borja Malet (LMU); 6-3, 7-5
5. Daniel Moore (APU) def. Geza Bazula (LMU); 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
6. Johan Berhof (LMU) def. Whitman Hough (APU); 4-6, 7-5, 5-2

DOUBLES
1. Bolsius/Weber (APU) def. Malet/Lopez (LMU); 8-5
2. Moore/Chow (APU) def. Maggi/Bazula (LMU); 8-6
3. Jack Zapala/Apelt (APU) def. Abgaryan/Von Der Ahe (LMU); 9-7