ALAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla.—It was an NCAA National Championship tournament match between the #21 seed and the #22 seed, and the match was as close as one would expect.

The Azusa Pacific Cougars won out in a tight 4-2 battle over Nebraska-Kearney to advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals on Thursday, where they will play #2 seed Nova Southeastern (FL) at 6 a.m. PT.

Today’s victory was anything but easy.

The Cougars won the doubles point with a quick win on court two via Karola Suviste and Stina Larsson (6-0), and then won the clinching match on court one when Julia Jordan and Vina Bautista won out 7-6 (7-5). Tina Moser and Shannele Lopez were locked up at 6-6 on court three when Jordan and Bautista clinched.

But the Lopers then took the lead when the play switched to singles action, taking courts one and four to go up 2-1.

Lopez then tied the match at 2-2 with a 6-1, 6-1 victory on court six, and Suviste followed with a 6-4, 6-3 win on court five. Everyone then had to wait a good measure of time before Larsson rallied back for a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 victory on court three to clinch the match.

Nebraska-Kearney’s season ends at 20-6, while the Cougars advance to the quarterfinals for the third time in school history with a 21-4 record.