AZUSA, Calif.-- Freshman Janosch Apelt and junior Matthijs Bolsius each collected singles and doubles victories to lead the NAIA’s No. 4-ranked Azusa Pacific to a 5-4 victory over No. 12-ranked Point Loma Nazarene in the Cougars’ first-ever match on the Azusa Pacific campus. For the men’s tennis program and its 45-year history without a venue like the Munson and Bavougian Tennis Complex to call its own, the day lived up to the program’s expectations, and the Cougars earned their first conference win of the season after a tough 7-2 loss at California Baptist on Thursday.
“Being here for 20 years as a player and then as a coach, I can say today was very significant from a historical perspective for Azusa Pacific tennis,” Cougar head coach Mark Bohren said. “It was definitely an exciting day for all of us.”
“It feels amazing to be here on our new courts,” Bolsius added. “Having an on-campus tennis facility gave the team a good boost today, especially coming off the California Baptist loss. We were extra motivated to do well on our debut on the new courts.”
Azusa Pacific took a 2-1 lead in doubles play, with the No. 1 and No. 3 teams setting the Cougars up with victories. At No. 1, junior Mathias Weber and Bolsius delivered an 8-4 victory over Point Loma Nazarene’s Curt Wheeler and Landon Hilker. The freshman tandem of Jack Zapala and Apelt supplied an 8-5 victory at No. 3, clinched by Apelt’s power serve ace to the backhand side at match point.
“We made some great plays in the middle of our doubles,” Zapala said, in reference to a key changeover series which shifted his score from a 4-3 deficit to a 5-4 lead. “It really helped us out and sparked some energy in us to finish off the set well.”
Of the 6 singles matches contested, all but 1 were decided in straight sets. Azusa Pacific captured 3 victories of the straight-set variety at No. 1, No. 4, and No. 5, giving the Cougars their 21st consecutive dual match victory over Point Loma Nazarene since the 2001 campaign.
Bolsuis picked up a 6-4, 6-1 decision over Wheeler at No. 1, and Apelt earned his most decisive singles victory thus far, rolling to a 6-1, 6-2 win over Hilker at the No. 4 spot. Sophomore Daniel Moore assured Azusa Pacific’s fifth team point with a 6-4, 6-3 performance over the Sea Lions’ Trent Brown.
Junior Danny Colten entered the 2009 season with a perfect 9-0 mark in singles, providing situational relief for his teammates in first two years as a Cougar. He suffered his first career loss but he did not relinquish it without a fight. Colten lost the first set, 6-3, to Point Loma Nazarene’s Andy Hong, but responded with a 6-2 second set to split the match. Colten took Hong all the way to the third set tiebreaker but suffered a 7-6 loss in the third set for his first collegiate defeat.
“I hope we can take positive energy out of this win and be confident in ourselves,” Apelt said. “Overall, I thought today was very important to regain our confidence, and we’re definitely set for what next week will bring.”
With the win, Azusa Pacific improves to 2-1 on the season, including a 1-1 GSAC mark, while Point Loma Nazarene drops to 2-2 overall, 1-2 in GSAC. The Cougars host a trio of matches at the end of the upcoming week, including a match with 2008 NCAA Division III runner-up Barry (Fla.) on Friday, Feb. 27. Up next, however, is a 1 p.m. GSAC match at Westmont on Tuesday, Feb. 24.
SINGLES
1. Matthijs Bolsius (APU) def. Curt Wheeler (PLNU); 6-4, 6-1
2. Joel Myers (PLNU) def. Mathias Weber (APU); 7-6, 6-4
3. Travis Albauch (PLNU) def. Ronald Chow (APU); 6-1, 6-4
4. Janosch Apelt (APU) def. Landon Hilker (PLNU); 6-1, 6-2
5. Daniel Moore (APU) def. Trent Brown (PLNU); 6-4, 6-3
6. Andrew Hong (PLNU) def. Danny Colten (APU); 6-3, 2-6, 7-6
Order of Finish: 4, 1, 3, 2, 5*, 6 (*=clinching match)
DOUBLES
1. Bolsius/Weber (APU) def. Wheeler/Hilker (PLNU); 8-4
2. Myers/Albauch (PLNU) def. Chow/Moore (APU); 8-5
3. Apelt/Jack Zapala (APU) def. Jeff Nelson/Josh Nelson (PLNU); 8-5
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3
