SURPRISE, Ariz. – Azusa Pacific defended its PacWest title by defeating top-seeded Hawai`i Pacific 4-3 with
April Wong clinching the match in three sets to make the Cougars PacWest Champions on Saturday at the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Club.
The championship match score was 2-2 with three matches left on courts 14 through 16 with each team holding relatively comfortable leads in the third set, while
Carolyn Brooner was battling at No. 4 singles in a rematch with
Valentina Mokrova. The pair was playing on the same court as the previous year, and Brooner again pulled out the win in straight sets, winning the final game at love for a 6-3, 7-5 win.
“I thought about last year’s final a lot since it was the same opponent on the same court,” Brooner said. “I was nervous going back on that court, because I had played on a different court the last few days, but everything lined up today. I’m so happy to have won two times in a row with this team.
While Brooner was wrapping up her match, Wong grabbed a third break of serve at No. 3 singles against
Mihoki Miyahara to take a 5-0 lead in the deciding set. Wong had to fight to stay in the match in the second set after having dropped the first set 6-1 to Miyahara. After the match was tied 4-4 in the second set Wong broke serve, starting a string of seven games won in a row.
Just a year ago, Wong was serving as Azusa Pacific’s graduate assistant coach, while taking a red-shirt season. Wong was coaching when on the same court, against the same opponent, in last year’s PacWest Championships final, Jacky Wagner clinched Azusa Pacific’s first PacWest title. Now she was serving for the championship, trying to do the same thing that Wagner did. And similar to Wagner, Wong dropped only one game after taking a 5-0 lead in the third set. Wong was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
“I couldn’t be more proud, because last year April was a GA. She was really upset that she wasn’t playing on the team that won it, because we felt like we would never do it again when we talked last,” head coach
Mark Bohren said. “It was so fitting that she got to clinch that match, and it was so important to me that she got to experience winning a title as a player.”
The Cougars have now equaled Hawai`i Pacific’s total of two PacWest titles, which is the most among active members of the conference. The Sharks reached the Championship match for the 14th time in the 15 editions of the PacWest Championships.
Hawai`i Pacific was playing without its No. 1 player
Shaline Pipa, who rolled her ankle right before winning her semifinal match against Fresno Pacific. With Pipa out of the lineup, everyone shifted up one spot, including
Elodie Busson, who earned her most impressive win of the season. She defeated the PacWest Newcomer of the Year
Eleonora Liga 6-2, 6-4, giving Liga only her second loss of the season.
The only other player all season to have defeated Liga was
Marleen Tilgner, who faced
Madison Kane at No. 2 singles in a battle of first-team All-PacWest selections. Tilgner won the blockbuster match 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 in a tough battle that ended just before Wong clinched the victory. At No. 5 singles,
Marta Ruszczynska won for Hawai`i Pacific, 7-5, 6-4, and
Katherine Nguyen won for the Cougars in the No. 6 spot, 6-4, 6-1.
In the third-place match, Fresno Pacific won 4-1 against Academy of Art when
Alice Di Matteo won at No. 3 singles in a three-set marathon, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in three hours on the singles court. The two remaining matches were both in tiebreakers in the third set.
Mariia Borodii and
Lea Falentin also won for Fresno Pacific with Borodii winning 12 of the final 13 games after dropping the first set.
Julia Ortega earned the point for the Urban Knights with her win at No. 4 singles.
Point Loma took fifth place in the PacWest Championships, which keeps the Sea Lions potentially in consideration for a berth into the NCAA West Regional. The Sea Lions defeated Biola, 4-1, coming from behind after dropping the doubles point.
Arianna Audelo won at No. 1 singles against All-PacWest honoree
Colbeyshae Emery, 6-1, 6-3.
Thelma Sepulveda and
Amanda Letzring also won in straight sets to take the rubber match against Biola.
Cal State LA finished its season with a 4-2 win over Hawai`i Hilo to take seventh place in the tournament.
Noa Davico won in both singles and doubles for the Golden Eagles and
Sarah Olmos and
Chelsey Ruiz also won their singles matches in straight sets to lead Cal State LA to the win. The two winners on the day for the Vulcans were
Hikari Osaki and
Hannah Highsmith.
Azusa Pacific earned the PacWest’s automatic bid into the postseason and Hawai`i Pacific is a lock to earn one of the two hosting spots in the NCAA West Regional. Meanwhile, Fresno Pacific, Academy of Art, Biola and Point Loma will have to wait and see until next week to find out if their season continues. The winners of the two regional matches will advance to represent the PacWest in the NCAA Division II Championships in Florida.