INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — No. 9 Azusa Pacific men's tennis saw its run at the 2026 ITA Division II National Men's Team Indoor Championship come to an end Friday afternoon, falling 4–1 to No. 3 Flagler in the quarterfinal round at Farmer's Bank Fieldhouse.

The Cougars (3–1) struck first by claiming the doubles point in dramatic fashion. At No. 1 doubles, Soeren Grandke and Mathys Pinoit secured a tight 7–6 victory, while Joan Crespo and Christopher Marci added another 7–5 win at No. 3 to give APU the early 1–0 lead.

Flagler (4–0) responded swiftly in singles play.

At the top of the lineup, Grandke battled in a heavyweight showdown against Aniss Rafiq, pushing the match to three sets before falling 6–2, 6–7, 7–5 in a tightly contested duel. The Saints then evened the score at No. 5 singles, where freshman Raphael Rousson defeated No. 46 Crespo in straight sets.

No. 27 Simon Malis gave Flagler its second point with a 6–4, 6–4 win over David James Brownlee at No. 2 singles, and Filip Kana added another point at No. 4 by edging Viktor Van Craenenbroeck in two competitive sets.

Rafiq ultimately delivered the clinching point for the Saints with his three-set win at court one, sending Flagler into the semifinals. Matches at Nos. 3 and 6 were left unfinished at the time of the stoppage, with both still in competitive positions.

Despite the defeat, the Cougars showed resilience on the national stage, earning the doubles point against one of the nation's top-ranked programs and competing closely across multiple singles courts.

With the result, Azusa Pacific moves to 3–1 on the season, while Flagler advances to face No. 4 West Florida in the semifinal round of the ITA Division II National Men's Team Indoor Championship.