AZUSA, Calif. -- Tennis at the collegiate level is designed to be a team sport, but on rare and special occasions, the pressure of an entire match falls squarely on the shoulders of one player.
Match Results
That was the case for sophomore Jackie Resler, who was locked in a three-set battle for nearly two hours after every other match had finished with the overall score tied 4-4.
Resler prevailed at No. 6 singles, winning her match 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-1 to lift No. 14 Azusa Pacific to a 5-4 victory over No. 18 UC San Diego in a battle of two of the top five teams in the West Region that lasted five hours and 20 minutes on Saturday.
"We all know what to expect for Jackie," head coach David Goodman said. "She's going to leave it all out there and grind until the very end. If the match is going to come down to one person, we want it to be her, because we know she is fit and tough and ready to win the big ones for us."
The Cougars, which are ranked No. 3 in the West Region, are now 2-1 with the win over the No. 5 squad in the region. UCSD drops to 2-3 on the year with the other two losses coming against NCAA Division I programs.
"To get two of three in four days is huge for us," Goodman said. "To beat Concordia at their home was a huge comeback win and then we were able to do it again. I think this team still has a lot of room to improve. It's a long season, but I think we have a good group of girls to get through it with."
The Tritons led 4-1 after earning two straight-set victories in singles, leaving the Cougars no room for error when Resler stepped onto the court to begin her No. 6 singles match. Resler quickly gave the Cougars a lift, winning her first set 6-1.
"We were down 4-1 and it looked pretty bleak, but I've quickly realized that this team is a bunch of fighters and anything is possible with them," Goodman said. "I have complete confidence in them. Even at 4-1 when it does look bad, I just thought that the girls that were on the court were going to go all out for us and do everything to when their matches. Even at that point we thought there was the possibility that we come back and win that match."
At No. 1 singles, Natalie Johnson put on an impressive performance in a battle between the top two ranked singles players in NCAA Division II from California schools. In each of their previous two meetings, a 10-point tiebreaker had determined the winner with Kyra Scott taking the first match played in La Jolla, while Johnson returned the favor this fall at Cal State Los Angeles.
In the rubber match, Johnson didn't waste her time in recording a convincing 6-1, 6-3 victory over the No. 5 player in the West Region to get the Cougars on the board in singles action.
"Natalie's win was gigantic," Goodman said. "She's had battles with Kyra in the past and they have always been so close every time. For her to play at that level and beat a player of that caliber so badly is a huge step for her. It was probably the best match that I've seen her play."
Meanwhile, freshman Kara Hinton was battling through a tough first set, getting into a tiebreaker after having four set points on her return at 6-5. Hinton trailed 3-5 in the tiebreaker and faced a set point, but the freshman showed some poise battling out a 10-8 win in the tiebreaker on her seventh set point. Hinton cruised in the second set to win 7-6(8), 6-1, cutting the Triton lead to 4-3 overall.
Lisa Schneider, who was the hero of the Cougars' last come-from-behind victory, put Azusa Pacific on level terms with a long-fought straight-set victory, 6-3, 6-4.
Resler got the first break of the second set and led 5-3, but when serving for the match, let three match points slide by. In the ensuing tiebreaker, Madison Hale raced to a 6-1 lead and eventually finished the set after Resler saved the first four set points.
"After I lost the first match point, I tried not to think about it and just told myself to stop celebrating before the match is over. I knew I wasn't going to get anything for free in the second set," Resler said, "but I thought that I could tire her out in the third set. I'm used to playing long matches. I like to make it a competition of fitness and see who can last longer. I've done this before, so for me, the longer the better."
Resler got the first break of the deciding set in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead, and the sophomore never looked back winning three games in a row to seal the final result.
"It's always tough to lose match points and then lose that set," Goodman said. "Being able to reset and refocus for that third set is crucial, because it is easy to dwell on the past and think 'I blew it' instead of being focused on what is ahead. She was able to let it go, reset, and handle business."
In doubles, Resler helped Azusa Pacific avoid a sweep, pairing with Valeriia Kashina for an 8-3 victory at No. 3 doubles. At No. 1 doubles Britta Mosser and Scott justified their No. 16 national ranking with an 8-6 win over Schneider and Johnson. The Tritons also won 8-4 at No. 2 doubles.
On Saturday, Azusa Pacific has another West Region showdown, playing the region's No. 8 program Point Loma at 11 a.m. at the Cougar Tennis Complex.
"We're super excited to get the win," Goodman said. "There were so many points in the match where I didn't think it was going to happen, but the girls showed so much resolve and toughness and gutted it out."
