SURPRISE, Ariz. – The No. 13 Hawai'i Pacific University women fell to No. 18 Azusa Pacific 4-3 in the PacWest Conference Championship match on Saturday afternoon
 
The 13th ranked Sharks (15-8), the tournament's top seed, had to play without their top ranked player Shaline Pipa who was nursing an injury suffered in the semifinal win against Fresno Pacific. The 18th ranked Cougars (18-6) took advantage of the shake up in doubles and the reordering in the lower spots in the singles lineup.
 
The Cougars took the doubles point with a win at No. 1 with Eleonora Liga and Madison Kane defeating HPU's Elodie Busson and Mihoki Miyahara 6-1 and at No. 2 where April Wong and Audrey Stewart beat Valentina Mokrova and Marta Ruszczynska 6-2. The unfinished No. 3 spot had HPU's Marleen Tilgner and Rikona Murakami down 4-3 to Carolyn Brooner and Katherine Nguyen.
 
The Sharks battled back in singles.
 
Busson, playing at No. 1 instead of Pipa, upset fourth ranked Liga 6-2, 6-4 to tie the match, but APU responded at No. 6 with Nguyen downed a moved up Murakami 6-4, 6-1 to go up 2-1.
 
HPU tied the match at 2-2 as Ruszczynska came through at No. 5 with a 7-5, 6-4 win, but APU retook the lead at No. 4 with Brooner downing Mokrova 6-3, 7-5.
 
HPU's 23rd ranked Tilgner picked up a big point to tie the match at 3-3 by defeating 53rd ranked Madison Kane 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 that set up the showdown match.
 
The Sharks Miyahara, playing up at No. 3, took the first set from APU's Wong 6-1, but lost in the second set 4-6. Miyahara suffered cramping in the third set as Wong started pulling away. After an extended timeout, Miyahara won the next game, but Wong took the set 6-1 that led to a Cougar win 4-3 and the championship.
 
In the awards ceremonies following the match, Miyahara was presented the Sportsmanship Award for the tournament.
 
The Sharks, who have been the West Region's top team the last two weeks, now await the NCAA Division II Tennis Committee's selection of the NCAA Tournament field to determine the postseason picture.