IRVINE, Calif. – Biola picked up two wins this week against PacWest foes, including a historic win over Azusa Pacific that was clinched by Alexandria Mann, who is this week’s PacWest Player of the Week.
 
Biola opened the week with a 7-0 win at Cal State LA for the team’s second shutout win in a row, improving to 5-1 on the season. At No. 1 singles Sakura Kurokawa and Colbeyshae Emery had a tight battle that went the way of Emery, 7-5, 3-6, 10-4. Emery improved to 3-1 on the season with that win, which was her first three-set victory.
 
Then on Saturday, Biola hosted Azusa Pacific, and won the match 5-2. Biola had not beaten Azusa Pacific in women’s tennis since 1998 and had not earned more than two points since 2003. However, the two rival schools have become more competitive with each other in tennis in recent years until the Eagles broke through with their first win in 24 years on Saturday, snapping the Cougars 33-match winning streak over Biola.
 
Brooke Fager and Lilly McNeill both earned wins in singles in straight sets to give Biola a 3-1 lead, but the Eagles either trailed or had split sets in each of the three remaining singles matches. Mann led 4-3 in the deciding set of her match at No. 3 singles and won the final two games to clinch the match with a 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 victory. Ines Diaz went on to win her three-set match at No. 6 singles 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 as Biola won by an overall score of 5-2.
 
Azusa Pacific didn’t waste any time bouncing back from just its second loss this season to a NCAA Division II opponent. On Monday, the Cougars were back on the road and defeated Point Loma, 7-0, to improve to 4-2 against PacWest opponents. Nora Liga won her match at No. 1 singles, 6-3, 6-0 against Arianna Audelo to improve to 6-0 on the season. Her doubles partner Madison Kane also improved to 5-2 on the season after coming through a tough battle against Angelique Friedrich, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 at No. 2 singles.
 
On Saturday, Fresno Pacific hosted Stanislaus State, which was coming off a 6-0 win against William Jessup. The Sunbirds improved to 2-2 on the season by beating the Warriors 7-0 on their home courts. Mariia Borodii had to come from behind to secure her win at No. 1 singles, surviving a second-set tiebreak to win her match 2-6, 7-6, 6-2 against Amber Huk.
 
In the most recent ITA rankings, Hawai`i Pacific leads the PacWest at No. 7 in the nation, followed by Azusa Pacific at No. 11. Point Loma and Biola both cracked the top-25, while Academy of Art, Concordia and Fresno Pacific are all receiving votes. Biola should see a sizeable jump in the next set of rankings thanks to the win over No. 11 Azusa Pacific.
 
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Alexandria Mann, Biola
Fr. – Atlanta
Mann helped Biola earn two wins this week against Cal State LA and Azusa Pacific to improve to 6-1 on the season. Mann played No. 3 singles in both matches and won both in three sets. She opened the week with a 6-4, 2-6, 10-4 win over Sakura Kurokawa from Cal State LA in part of a 7-0 win for Biola. Then on Saturday, she took on one of the most experienced collegiate tennis players in the PacWest, facing Carolyn Brooner of Azusa Pacific. Mann, who was just playing her seventh career collegiate tennis match, won the first set 6-2, but quickly dropped the second set 1-6. At that point, the Eagles led 3-1 as a team and needed just one more win to complete the historic victory. Mann stepped up to the occasion and won the deciding set 6-3. She is now 6-0 in singles this season and a perfect 3-0 in matches that go to a deciding set. In doubles, she won at the No. 2 position alongside Fager against Cal State LA. The duo won a tight set, 7-6(5) to clinch the doubles point against the Golden Eagles. Biola has now won the doubles point in six of seven matches this season.