LA MIRADA, Calif. — Azusa Pacific surged past Biola with a 15–9 victory Wednesday night at SPLASH! La Mirada Regional Aquatics Center. The Cougars used a strong offensive showing and balanced team effort to improve to 16-14 on the season, while the Eagles dropped to 9-17.

They wasted no time setting the tone, taking a 4-3 lead in the first quarter behind goals from Audrey Dexter, Jessie Nelson, and Laia Marsinach Ortega. It opened up the game in the second period with five goals—including a pair each from Nelson and Ortega—taking a 9-6 lead into halftime.

Jessie Nelson led all scorers with four goals on six shots, while Ortega tallied a hat trick and four steals. Alexandra Akritidou also made her presence felt with two goals and two steals. In total, nine different Cougars contributed to the scoring, with 14 assists highlighting the team's cohesive play.

In the cage, Daniela Herrero Miralles anchored the defense with 10 saves on 19 shots faced. Defensively, APU out-stole Biola 10-7 and capitalized on key possessions with efficient ball movement and fast-break conversions.

The third quarter saw them continue its offensive onslaught, outscoring Biola 4-1, with goals from Perez, Ochoa, Akritidou, and Nelson. Biola struggled to find momentum offensively, despite efforts from Christina Cervantes and Veralie Naranjo, who each had two goals for the Eagles.

The Cougars secured the win in the fourth with goals from Rachel Ahumada and Akritidou, putting the game out of reach and sealing the 15-9 decision.

They now shift their focus to the GCC Tournament next Friday as they will enter as the #6 seed.