SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Azusa Pacific is advancing to the NCAA Division II West Region Championship, following its 4-2 victory over rival Biola on Friday morning in the Regional Semifinal. This marks the third time that Azusa Pacific has defeated Biola this season (3-0), and the second time in three years that the Cougar program will play in the Regional final, as the 2019 team advanced to the championship and won by a 4-3 final against UC San Diego.
The Cougars got off to a great start in the match, picking up the doubles point with two straight victories. Jacky Wagner and Carolyn Brooner were the first to finish at No. 2, as they turned an early 1-1 tie into a 6-1 win by taking five straight games. Needing one more victory to claim the point, both the No. 1 and No. 3 duos for Azusa Pacific were in the lead. It was the No. 10-ranked pairing in the country of Anna Savchenko and Petra Ivankovic who clinched it for the Cougars, knocking off the No. 18-ranked doubles tandem of Colbeyshae Emery and Mary Brascia by a 6-3 final.
"It is always important to start a match off well in doubles, and we did just that on all three courts," said head coach Mark Bohren, "it allowed us to move into our singles matchups with momentum and confidence, which was really needed today."
As had been the case in the Cougars' previous two meetings with Biola this season, it was Jacky Wagner who made quick work of her opponent at No. 3 to give Azusa Pacific the early 2-0 match lead. Wagner took the first set by a 6-3 final, and followed it up in the second with a 6-1 performance. With the score 2-0 and the Eagles in desperate need of some wins to try and get back in the match, Biola was able to take courts 5 and 6 to draw even at 2-2.
Azusa Pacific was able to jump back ahead with a win on court 2, where Anna Savchenko cruised 6-1 in set one, and then battled in the second for the ultimate 6-4 victory and a 3-2 match lead for the Cougars. Searching for one more win to secure the semifinal victory, all eyes turned to the No. 1 matchup where Petra Ivankovic held a 1-0 overall lead and a 5-1 second-set advantage over Emery. While Emery was able to win two-straight games to make it 5-3, Ivankovic broke her serve for the 6-3 victory to send the Cougars into the regional final.
"This was not an easy match for us," said Bohren, "and I am glad that we stayed mentally tough and did what we needed to do to earn the win. I am proud of this team and excited for the opportunity ahead of us tomorrow."
Up Next: The Cougars will take on No. 2-seed Hawai'i Pacific in the Regional final, which is set for 9:30 am tomorrow (Saturday, May 8) in Surprise, Ariz. It is a rematch of last week's PacWest Championship match, in which Azusa Pacific claimed a 4-3 win for the program's first-ever PacWest title. Live scoring for tomorrow's match can be found on APUCougars.com or ThePacWest.com.
