AZUSA, Calif. - In a battle between nationally ranked teams, No. 24 Azusa Pacific defended its home court, shutting out No. 39 Arkansas Tech by a 4-0 score on Thursday afternoon in Azusa. The Cougars are on a four-match winning streak and hold an overall record of 13-4. Eight of the Cougars' 13 victories have been won in shutout fashion.

Azusa Pacific took the early momentum in the match by taking two of three in doubles to secure the doubles point. In the No. 1 match, the Cougars sent out the nationally-ranked pairing of Eleonora Liga and Madison Kane (ranked No. 6) to face Lea Grinberg and Daniela Baez. Liga and Kane cruised to a 6-1 win for the fourth-consecutive victory. The pairing is 14-2 this season, and they have only allowed opponents to win more than three games on four occasions.

After Arkansas Tech leveled doubles with a win at No. 3, Miruna Tudor and April Wong stepped up at No. 2 for the Cougars, where they beat Aastha Dargude and Sofia Beggiatto by a 6-3 set score to clinch the doubles point. Tudor and Wong are 6-3 together, playing all of their matches in the No. 2 position. 

As she has done often this season, Liga wasted no time dispatching of her opponent in the No. 1 singles match, as she made quick work of Grinberg for a 6-0, 6-1 straight-set win. Liga is unbeaten over her last 14 appearances, and she has won her last six matches, all in straight-set fashion. Across her last three matches, Liga has not allowed an opponent to win more than one game in a set. Liga is the nation's fourth-ranked singles player, holding a 15-1 record.

Madison Kane would put the Cougars up 3-0 overall, as she won 12 consecutive games over Baez for a 6-0, 6-0 straight-set win at No. 2. Kane is on a four-match winning streak, and she has only lost two games over her last five sets played. 

Katherine Nguyen served as the match-clincher for the Cougars at No. 6, where she beat Isabella Major by a 6-3 set score in the first, and followed up with a 6-4 second set win to close the contest out. Nguyen is 13-1 this season, with a 9-1 record at No. 6, 3-0 record at No. 5, and a 1-0 record at No. 3. Of Nguyen's 13 victories, 11 have been won in straight-sets.

Up Next: The Cougars will host Westmont tomorrow, with first serve planned for around 3:30 pm in Azusa.