Cougars dominate rival Biola on home court 4-0

On Friday, Azusa Pacific’s women tennis team battled the Biola Eagles at home. The Cougars rebounded after a loss just two days earlier, beating the Eagles 4-0.

The Cougars entered the match with an 8-5 record, winners of three of their last four. Biola, however, has struggled throughout the year with a 5-6 record, and have failed to win an away match all year.

The Cougars have had to overcome a slew of injuries this season. After a shocking home loss to Drake University, it was essential for APU to get the win against their rivals.

“My body is sore, and the team is so exhausted. But the motivation has and will never leave this team,” said sophomore April Wong. “Everytime we step on the court every single one of these ladies give it their all, and we are always excited to compete. I think we showed that determination against Biola.”

The Cougars started the match strongly with a quick point in the doubles portion. The team of Wong and junior Anna Savchenko got the first victory, beating their opponent 6-1 in the number two position. Sophomore Courtney Page and freshman Katia Betancourt also won their match in the number three spot 6-2, securing the doubles point.

Next came the singles portion of the contest. Savchenko remained hot, beating Biola’s Ines Diaz 6-2, 6-1, giving APU their second of four points. Another point came from Wong in the fourth position, as she held a clean sweep of 6-0, 6-0 against Madison Swaney.

Sophomore Jacky Wagner, who has won eight of her twelve single matches this season, provided the clincher with a 6-1, 6-0 victory. With the four points already accumulated, the remaining three matches were deferred, and APU claimed victory with the 4-0 sweep.

“Although the match wasn’t very competitive, there is always room for improvement,” Wagner said. “We were able to take some things away from this matchup that will help us advance as a team. And I hope we can keep this momentum moving forward.”

Although the Cougars dominated their rivals with ease, any win at this time of the year is important. Head coach Mark Bohren realizes how tired his team is, and said he is proud of both the men’s and women’s teams for dominating their Cornerstone Cup rival.

“I’m very proud of the way the girls are playing. I know how tired they are, but they showed resilience today against an always tough opponent,” Bohren said. “Both the men and the women didn’t underestimate their opponent, and I think that was a key reason behind our great play today.”

With the win, APU advances to 9-5 on the season. The Cougars next match is against Concordia on Wednesday March 27 at home.