FRESNO, Calif. -- A short-handed Azusa Pacific roster of just 5 players offered little resistance to the NAIA's No. 2-ranked Fresno Pacific, which clinched the program's fourth consecutive Golden State Athletic Conference women's tennis championship with Thursday's 9-0 victory over the No. 4-ranked Cougars.
Azusa Pacific defaulted points at No. 6 singles and No. 3 doubles before match play began, spotting Fresno Pacific a 2-0 lead, and the Sunbirds posted straight-set victories at all 5 singles positions to take a 7-0 lead heading into doubles play. Freshman Leah Hoffee, playing at No. 3 for the first time in her career, put forth a competitive effort in a 6-3, 6-3 defeat to Maria Klokotzky, who is ranked No. 22 in the NAIA's individual singles rankings. The Cougars' top 2 players in the NAIA individual rankings, sophomores Sheryl Bon (No. 12) and Casey Wetzig (No. 26), were both out of action for Thursday's match while they both continue to recover from injuries suffered earlier in the season.
Fresno Pacific's top 2 doubles teams, each ranked in the top 4 of the NAIA's national doubles rankings, posted 8-4 and 8-2 wins at No. 1 and 2 doubles, respectively, to complete the perfect 9-0 sweep for the Sunbirds.
With the loss, Azusa Pacific drops to 12-7 overall, 11-4 GSAC, and the Cougars drop into third place in the Golden State Athletic Conference standings, 1 win behind California Baptist which is 12-4 and has only 2 conference matches remaining. Azusa Pacific finishes the regular season with 3 straight home matches, starting with a dual match against Hope International on Saturday, April 18, at the Munson & Bavougian Tennis Complex.
SINGLES
1. Katia Sabate (FPU) def. Natalie McNall (APU); 6-0, 6-1
2. Ornella Gentile (FPU) def. Emily Ignas (APU); 6-4, 6-1
3. Maria Klokotzky (FPU) def. Leah Hoffee (APU); 6-3, 6-3
4. Vanessa Heroux (FPU) def. Jessalyn Lau (APU); 6-4, 6-1
5. Yulia Blinovskaya (FPU) def. Katy Jelsma (APU); 6-4, 1-0 (ret.)
6. FPU wins by default
Order of finish: 1, 5, 2*, 4, 3
* = clinching match
DOUBLES
1. Heroux/Sabate (FPU) def. Jelsma/McNall (APU); 8-4
2. Gentile/Klokotzky (FPU) def. Ignas/Lau (APU); 8-2
3. FPU wins by default
Order of finish: 2, 1
