AZUSA, Calif. - After four and a half hours of play,
Katherine Nguyen delivered the match-clinching victory for Azusa Pacific, as the Cougars knocked off visiting Grand Valley State for a 4-3 win on Monday evening. With the win, Azusa Pacific improves to 7-1 this season.
The Cougars had to overcome some early adversity, as the Lakers took a 1-0 match lead following doubles wins at No. 2 and No. 3. The Cougars were able to salvage a win at No. 1, where
Madison Kane and
Miruna Tudor won 6-3. The pair is now 6-1 this season.
To open singles, Kane made quick work of her opponent at No. 1, where she beat Vaselia Griva by a 6-1 score in the first set, and then swept Griva away with a 6-0 second set. Kane has now won three sets this season by a 6-0 score, and all six of her victories have come in straight-sets.
Julia Jordan followed up Kane with a straight-set win at No. 2 for the Cougars, where she beat Taylor Barrett 6-1, 6-1 for her third-consecutive victory in straight-sets.
After the Lakers tied the match up with a win at No. 3, Grand Valley State would retake the advantage with a three set victory at No. 4 to make it 3-2 overall. With the back-to-back wins for the Lakers, Azusa Pacific needed both Nguyen and
Shannele Lopez to deliver victories at No. 5 and No. 6.
In Lopez' match against Estefania Hernandez at No. 6, Lopez took the early lead with a 6-1 first set. Hernandez answered back to win the second set 6-2, sending the dual to a third set. Nguyen and Neus Ramos were locked in a battle at No. 5, as Nguyen won 6-4 in the first, before Ramos took the second set by a 6-4 tally. With the sun setting in Azusa, both matches were moved up to courts with lights. Under the lights, Lopez evened the match at 3-3 for the Cougars, capturing the third set by a 6-2 score. With the match in the balance, Nguyen and Ramos traded breaks in the third set, before Nguyen found her rhythm and seized control of the set, clinching the victory for the Cougars with a 6-4 win. Lopez is now 6-1 this season, while Nguyen improves to 7-1.
"This was an important match for us to win," said head coach Mark Bohren, "A loss could have really hurt us in the rankings. We are now in the midst of a stretch of matches that are very important for the postseason, and it was good to start it off with the victory."
Up Next: The Cornerstone Cup is up next on the schedule for the Cougars, as they visit BioLa this Wednesday (March 6) at 3:00 pm.
