AZUSA, Calif. – Marko Nikoliuk played his first match at No. 1 singles this season and led Azusa Pacific to a 7-0 win on Tuesday over Holy Names, which is the sixth different PacWest team that the Cougars have beaten.
 
Nikoliuk won his match 6-1, 6-2, finishing right after Leyton Bohren won his match 6-0, 6-1 at No. 2 singles. Elias Emilio Walter then clinched the victory with his 6-0, 6-3 win at the No. 3 position to secure a straight-forward win for the PacWest defending champions.
 
The Cougars have improved to 8-3 at just shy of the middle point in the regular season. The performance so far leaves the Cougars in the playoff picture for the NCAA West Regional which includes the top-3 teams in the PacWest alongside the conference champion.
 
Walter and Cole Rassner earned a quick 6-0 win at No. 3 doubles to start the afternoon, and Leyton Bohren partnered with Nikoliuk to clinch the doubles point. It was the second time this season that Rassner and Walter have played together, and the pair remains undefeated as a team. Meanwhile, Leyton Bohren and Nikoliuk have won five doubles sets in a row and have a 9-2 record, which is the best on the team.
 
Nikoliuk, Leyton Bohren and Walter all won their matches in straight sets with just seven games lost combined for a decisive win for the Cougars. Brody Bohren added to the win with a 6-2, 6-4 triumph, playing at No. 4 singles, which is the third time he has played that position this season.
 
Rassner and Dylan Parsley both won their singles matches to wrap up the day. Rassner won easily 6-0, 6-3, while Parsley won the only three-set match of the day, taking the supertiebreaker for a 6-7, 6-2, 1-0(10-6) win at No. 6 singles. It is his first win of the season.
 
Azusa Pacific will play back-to-back matches later this week with Emory on Thursday and then a rematch at home against Hawai`i Pacific. The Cougars defeated the Sharks in the PacWest Championship, 4-3, last year, but the Sharks won the first meeting between the two teams of this season on O'ahu.