PALM SPRINGS, Calif. --- One season ended and one barely hung on to live another day as the Eagles' tennis teams competed in GSAC Tournament First Round play on Tuesday.
 
Both the men and women's teams squared off with Arrizona Christian in the first matchup of their bracket in the conference tournament held at Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
 
Both matches were nailbiters that went down to the wire in 5-4 decisions. The men's match was decided when Brandon Chang took a decisive third set win (6-4) over ACU's Michael Munguia.
 
Chang was Biola's final hope for victory after a 3-0 lead had quickly become a 4-4 tie after a disastrous set of singles matches for the Eagles. The men's team needed to get that win from Chang in order to avoid what the women's team was trying to accomplish, a comeback victory.
 
While the men got a quick 3-0 advantage, the women's team had to face an uphill battle after falling to a quick 1-2 disadvantage following the three doubles matches.
 
The only doubles match win for Biola came by Kathryn Ashford and Susan Carmichael in the No. 2 slot. The pairing was dominant as they cruised to an 8-0 victory over Rafaella Zak Zak and Brianna Lopez.
 
Biola's women's team actually enjoyed a fairly successful session of singles matches, winning three of the six total battles. They fell just short in the end and lost 5-4 to the Firestorm. It was Biola's third loss of the season to ACU and second via a 5-4 outcome.
 
The Eagles' wins at singles all came in straight sets and came off the rackets of Madeline Heer, Paige Erickson and Maura Lopez. Lopez won the battle of Lopez's as she squared off with ACU's Brianna Lopez in a 6-3, 7-5 match.
 
The difference in the match came at No. 1 singles, where Zak Zak bested Kathryn Ashford in straight sets, but did so by the slimmest of margins. She won the first set in a tiebreak and took the second set by just two games. It was the deciding match, as the final singles matchup to get off the court.
 
On the men's side, it looked as though the Eagles were simply going to carve up the Firestorm after building the massive lead in doubles. All they needed was two wins in singles play, but following losses at No.'s 1, 2, 4 and 6 it seemed impossible.
 
All of the momentum was with ACU and Manguia heading into the deciding set as he had a quick advantage with a first-set win and seeing all of his teammates winning around him.
 
Chang did not let the pressure get to him, and he managed to pull out the three set victory to ensure Biola would be advancing and playing tomorrow. It was Chang's 12^th win of the season, and it was Biola's third win of the season over ACU, second via a 5-4 score. Coincidentally enough, all three men's matches and all three women's matches between these two teams this season have had the same exact score.
 
The men's team moves on to face Vanguard at noon tomorrow. Biola is 0-2 against the Lions with two 9-0 losses.