AZUSA, Calif. -- It's been exactly 1 month since Azusa Pacific fielded its last full, healthy lineup, and the NAIA's No. 4-ranked Cougars suffered a 7-2 defeat to No. 7-ranked Concordia without its top 2 singles players Tuesday afternoon at the Munson and Bavougian Tennis Complex.

Despite playing at less than full strength for the past month, Azusa Pacific has pulled off 2 wins over teams currently ranked in the NAIA's Top 12 and is 4-3 during that stretch with all 3 losses coming to teams ranked seventh or higher nationally. The Cougars have clinched at least a fourth-place finish in the Golden State Athletic Conference, making Azusa Pacific the only GSAC women's tennis program to finish fourth or higher in the conference standings in each of the past 10 seasons. The Cougars can clinch a share of third place with a victory in next Tuesday's regular-season finale against Biola.

Concordia cruised to a convincing doubles sweep to take a 3-0 lead into singles play, and Cougar sophomore Casey Wetzig was scratched from the top singles spot after appearing in doubles play for her first live match action since a March 31 win over Westmont. The late scratch of the Cougars' No. 1 singles player bumped the other 5 singles players up 1 position each, and senior Katy Jelsma moved into the No. 6 spot to complete the lineup.

Freshman Emily Ignas suffered a straight-sets defeat at No. 1 to the Eagles' Jennifer Sher, the No. 4-ranked individual singles player in the NAIA, 6-1, 6-3, and Concordia clinched the match with Kristin Yep's 6-4, 6-4 win over sophomore Marie Tanaka at No. 4 singles.

However, after dropping a 6-0 opening set to Jordan Kimura, the NAIA's No. 28-ranked individual singles player, freshman Leah Hoffee forced a third set with a 7-6 win to even the No. 2 singles match. Hoffee, playing at her highest position in the lineup all season, held on to win after jumping out to a 4-1 lead in the second set. Kimura took 3 straight games to tie the set at 4-4, and after trading games to a 6-6 tie, Hoffee pulled out an 8-6 tiebreaker to send the match to a third set, a 10-point super tiebreaker. Hoffee scored 10 of the 11 points in the shortened set to claim the victory and give Azusa Pacific its first point of the dual match.

Junior Jessalyn Lau also posted a 3-set victory, winning the 10-point super tiebreaker at No. 5 singles by a 10-4 margin. Lau won the opening set by a comfortable 6-1 margin before Concordia's Cristina Paiva-Flor rallied to take the second set, 6-3.

Freshman Natalie McNall bounced back from a difficult 6-1 opening-set defeat at No. 3 singles, forcing a full third set with a 6-2 win, but Johanna Sceresini held on for a 6-3 third-set win to post the victory. Jelsma retired from No. 6 singles in the opening set due to injury.

With the loss, Azusa Pacific drops to 13-8 overall, 12-5 GSAC, while Concordia improves to 15-5 overall and moves into a tie with California Baptist for the GSAC's second spot at 13-4 in GSAC play. Concordia and California Baptist go head-to-head in the only remaining conference match for both teams, while Azusa Pacific finishes the regular season by hosting Biola on Tuesday, April 28.

SINGLES
1. Jennifer Sher (CUI) def. Emily Ignas (APU); 6-1, 6-3
2. Leah Hoffee (APU) def. Jordan Kimura (CUI); 0-6, 7-6 (10-1)
3. Johanna Sceresini (CUI) def. Natalie McNall (APU); 6-1, 2-6, 6-3
4. Kristin Yep (CUI) def. Marie Tanaka (APU); 6-4, 6-4
5. Jessalyn Lau (APU) def. Cristina Paiva-Flor (CUI); 6-1, 3-6 (10-4)
6. Jaleh Mazaheri (CUI) def. Katy Jelsma (APU); 4-1 (ret.)

Order of finish: 1, 4*, 3, 2, 6, 5
* = clinching match

DOUBLES
1. Sher/Yep (CUI) def. Hoffee/Tanaka (APU); 8-3
2. Kimura/Sceresini (CUI) def. Jelsma/McNall (APU); 8-0
3. Mazaheri/Paiva-Flor (CUI) def. Ignas/Wetzig (APU); 8-4

Order of finish: 2, 1, 3