COSTA MESA, Calif. -- Great comeback stories never happen if there isn't first some adversity.
That's exactly what Azusa Pacific women's tennis faced before pulling out an improbable 5-4 victory under the lights against Concordia on Thursday night at the Costa Mesa Tennis Club.
Match Results
Junior transfer Lisa Schneider saved match points and clinched the victory, winning her match 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(5) for her first win as a Cougar just moments after freshman Kara Hintonwon her three-set match 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
"I really wanted to win, so I just played point-by-point," Schneider said. "I love college tennis, because for me, it's all about the team. It's great to clinch the win for the team and represent Azusa Pacific."
When Concordia held serve at No. 4 singles to take the second set from Hinton, the Cougars trailed in the third set 1-4 both at No. 2 singles and No. 3 singles, needing to win two of the three matches still in action.
"Before my third set started, Lilit [Vardanyan] and Lisa were already in their third sets," Hinton said. "I was thinking that it was going to come down to me, so I was really nervous. I broke in the fourth game and eventually took a 4-1 lead, but I didn't want to relax."
Lilit Vardanyan, who was down by two breaks of serve, got one back and held to make the score 3-4 in the deciding set. However, Schneider was trailing 2-5 in her third set on court 2.
Hinton gave a break back in the third set, but won the final two games of her match to give the Cougars a 4-3 lead overall.
"That win was huge for me," Hinton said. "I don't think I have ever in my life won in a third set. I wanted to just jump up and down, but I knew the match was still going on so I wanted to go over and see Lisa and Lilit finish it out."
Meanwhile, Schneider won three must-win games in a row to even her match at 5-5 in the third set after saving a match point. Schneider gave up a hold, but saved another match point and won a fourth must-win game to force a tiebreaker, which proved to determine the result of the entire match.
Schneider trailed 2-4 in the tiebreaker at the first change of ends, but then won three consecutive points to take her first lead since the start of the third set. The German broke her string on the next point, making the score 5-5, but responded by winning the final two points to clinch the emotional victory.
"I had lost the second set 1-6 and was down 1-4, and I just had no chance," Schneider said. "I came back from 2-5 and the nerves were crazy. After I won, I just couldn't control it anymore. I was so happy and relieved."
At No. 3 singles, Vardanyan saved a handful of match points while her opponent served for the match, but the freshman eventually dropped the marathon game, making the final score 5-4 for the Cougars' first win of the season.
Azusa Pacific trailed 2-1 after doubles, but Jackie Resler quickly tied the overall score with a convincing 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 6 singles.
The Eagles won at No. 5 singles, but Natalie Johnson evened the overall score again at 3-3 with a 6-1, 6-3 victory at No. 1 singles over Ivanna Vlakic, who finished the 2015 season in the top 10 of the NAIA.
Johnson paired with Schneider in doubles for an 8-5 victory at No. 1 doubles, and Concordia won by the same score at No. 2 doubles.
In the battle for the advantage going into singles at No. 3 doubles, Resler and Valeriia Kashina broke serve to make the score 7-7. However, Concordia broke right back for a second chance to serve for the set. The Cougars saved six set points before the Eagles won the seventh to take the 2-1 lead after doubles.
That set the stage for the dramatic comeback victory. The Cougars, needing four singles victories, won the first set on four of the six courts, and each of those four players held on to win in the end.
Azusa Pacific will play against UC San Diego on Saturday in the home opener at 10:30 a.m.
