Mesa, Ariz.- At the 2026 NAIA National Invitational held at the Arizona Athletic Grounds, NAIA number seven ranked Arizona Christian opened pool play Thursday with a pair of tough losses against top-ranked competition.

In the opening match, the Firestorm fell 4-1 to No. 3 Corban.  Arizona Christian's lone point came at the No. 3 position, where Alyssa Robles and Abigail Nelson dominated in straight sets, 21-7, 21-9.  Corban secured the team victory with wins at Nos. 4, 2, 5 and 1.

After a short break, ACU played back-to-back and came up just short in a 3-2 loss to No. 2 The Master's.  The Mustangs claimed the first three courts to clinch the dual, but the Firestorm responded with wins in the final two matches.  Robles and Nelson continued their strong play, earning their 22nd win of the season as a pair.  Emily Casner and Emee Fellens closed out the day with a straight-set victory (21-18, 23-21) at the No. 1 spot.

Arizona Christian will look for their first win in pool play against New College of Florida on Friday.  That match will determine the final pool play standings as the invitational will head into quarterfinals and the elimination stage.  Depending on their seeding, the Firestorm will play their second match at either 2:30 or 4:30 pm.