MOBILE, Ala. -- Azusa Pacific lost a pair of close doubles matches that forced the No. 7-seeded Cougars to battle from behind in a 5-2 defeat to unseeded Brenau (Ga.) Wednesday afternoon at the 2009 NAIA Women’s Tennis National Championship. The loss was the first time since 2003 that Azusa Pacific did not win its NAIA Tournament opener.
Freshman Leah Hoffee and sophomore Casey Wetzig teamed up for an 8-2 win at No. 1 doubles to get Azusa Pacific its first point of the dual match. However, the Cougars’ No. 2 and 3 doubles teams, who both led during their respective matches, suffered identical 8-6 defeats to give Brenau the 2-1 edge in the score as well as the shift in momentum.
Sophomore Marie Tanaka cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 6 singles, but Brenau registered straight-sets wins at the top 2 singles spots to move to within a point of the team win with a 4-2 lead. At No. 3 singles, Wetzig was edged by Jolene Wong in the opening set, 7-5, and Brenau clinched the match when Wong won a hard-fought second set by a 6-3 margin.
Freshman Natalie McNall won her opening set at No. 5 singles, 6-4, and held a 5-3 lead in the second set when the match came to an end. Hoffee responded from a 6-4 setback in the first No. 4 singles set and was tied at 3-3 in the second set when the match concluded.
With the loss, Azusa Pacific finishes the year with a 14-9 overall record. The Cougars tied for third in the Golden State Athletic Conference, becoming the only GSAC women’s tennis program to finish fourth or higher in the conference standings in each of the past 10 seasons. Azusa Pacific is also the only GSAC program with 6 straight top-3 conference finishes.
SINGLES
1. Paula Ghilardotti (BU) def. Emily Ignas (APU); 6-1, 6-3
2. Lyn See Choo (BU) def. Sheryl Bon (APU); 6-2, 6-1
3. Jolene Wong (BU) def. Casey Wetzig (APU); 7-5, 6-3
4. Hannah Thompson (BU) vs. Leah Hoffee (APU); 6-4, 3-3 (DNF)
5. Natalie McNall (APU) vs. Liubov Orlova (BU); 6-4, 5-3 (DNF)
6. Marie Tanaka (APU) def. Nelli Martirosyan (BU); 6-1, 6-1
DOUBLES
1. Hoffee/Wetzig (APU) def. Choo/Thompson; 8-2
2. Ghilardotti/Wong (BU) def. Bon/Jelsma (APU); 8-6
3. Natalia Aranguren/Orlova (BU) def. Ignas/McNall (APU); 8-6
