AZUSA, Calif. — No. 1 Azusa Pacific men's tennis is headed back to the NCAA Championships in Surprise, Arizona.
The Cougars punched their ticket to the national finals site for the fifth consecutive season Tuesday afternoon, defeating No. 4 seed Point Loma 4-0 in the NCAA West Regional at the Munson & Bayougian Tennis Complex.
The victory capped another milestone day for Azusa Pacific, as multiple Cougars were recognized in the ITA West Region Awards announced earlier in the day. Director of Tennis Mark Bohren was named the ITA/Dunlop West Region Coach of the Year, while David James Brownlee earned ITA Most Improved Player honors and Joan Crespo was selected as the ITA Senior Player of the Year.
Azusa Pacific wasted little time taking control against the Sea Lions.
The Cougars dominated doubles play early, beginning with a commanding 6-1 victory from David James Brownlee and Viktor Van Craenenbroeck at No. 2 doubles. Moments later, nationally ranked duo Soeren Grandke and Mathys Pinoit secured the doubles point with a 6-2 win at the top court.
Order of finish (doubles): 2, 1
With momentum firmly established, APU rolled into singles.
No. 1 singles player Soeren Grandke delivered another statement performance, cruising to a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Point Loma's Stanislas Noel to double the Cougars' lead. Shortly after, Joan Crespo added a dominant 6-0, 6-3 win at No. 5 singles to push Azusa Pacific within one point of advancing.
The clinching moment came from Brownlee at No. 3 singles, where the sophomore closed out a strong 6-1, 6-4 victory to officially send the Cougars back to Surprise.
Several matches remained unfinished at the time of clinch, including a competitive battle at No. 2 singles and a third-set match on court four.
Order of finish (singles): 1, 5, 3
With the victory, Azusa Pacific continues one of the most successful stretches in program history, combining postseason consistency with elite individual performances across the lineup.
Now, the Cougars head back to Surprise, Arizona with national championship aspirations and momentum firmly on their side.
