COLUMBUS, Georgia – No. 3 Columbus State defended its home court against Azusa Pacific, earning a 4-1 win on Friday afternoon. Columbus State took a 1-0 lead in the contest by taking two of three doubles matches.

Azusa Pacific's lone win in doubles came from the duo of Jakob Schnaitter and Ryan Nuno, who picked up a 6-4 victory in the #2 match. The Cougars nearly took the doubles point as the #3 pairing of Sam Sippel and Ethan Smith forced a tiebreak, but Columbus State held on to claim a 7-6 win.

To open singles, Columbus State took a 3-0 lead after two-set victories in the #6 and #5 matches. Sippel scored the lone point of the contest for Azusa Pacific in the #2 spot, defeating Fabien Asdrubal 7-5, 6-1. Sippel is now 9-0 this season in singles contests. Columbus State closed out the contest with another two-set victory in the #4 match.

The Cougars close out their trip tomorrow, March 7, against Flagler College. Flagler is among the nation's best team, as they entered the season ranked seventh overall.