FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – With today's 4-3 win over Sacramento State, who was 3-0 in conference matches, the Northern Arizona University women's tennis team moves into first place in the Big Sky standings. Head Coach Kim Bruno and the Lumberjacks have now won four straight matches, which puts them at 11-6 overall and 5-1 among conference foes.

"We continue to believe in the process of winning over and over again," Bruno said. "We knew that if we kept fighting against this team that good things would happen and the match would go our way. I've been using the term feisty to describe this team all year and that's the team I saw today. This is the type of Lumberjack tennis we need to play."

Northern Arizona has five more conference matches in front of them, but with today's victory over the now 6-7 Hornets, the 'Jacks have surely positioned themselves for a regular season conference title. For the second time this season, senior Jordan Denesik clinched the match on court five, leaving nothing but blue and gold streaks behind. She has yet to drop a singles match against conference opponents as she holds a perfect 6-0 record. After today, freshman Eirene Granville also remains undefeated (4-0) in conference play on court six.

On the doubles side, Hanneke Lodewijks and Blanka Szavay highlighted the action for NAU as they have done all season long. The tandem advances to 9-4 in the 2016 campaign after today's 6-3 win over Sacramento State's Alina Soltanici and Deimante Bulatovaite. This positioned Northern Arizona to clinch the doubles point on court three, but Denesik and Marta Lewandowska dropped a heart breaker 7-6(8-6) to Anna-Maria Nau and Emily McColl.

Dropping the doubles point has not been unfamiliar territory for NAU this season, but the Lumberjacks continue to find ways to win- and the story was no different today. The Hornets led 3-1 at one point, but like Bruno's squad has shown a handful of times this season, resiliency proved to be the X-factor. Granville captured the first win against Sofia Wicker in straight sets 6-2, 6-4 before Lodewijks, Szavay and Denesik followed suit. Lodewijks also downed her opponent, Soltanici, in straight sets 7-6(5), 6-3 at line one.

Denesik relived her performance against Northern Colorado less than a week ago to ultimately hand Sacramento State its first conference loss of the season. She dropped the first set to Andie Mouzes 6-2, but fought her way back in the last two sets with scores of 7-5, 7-5.

Today's win was no small task as the Hornets recieved an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament for 13 straight years (2002-2014) before losing in the Big Sky finals last season. The Lumberjacks look to carry this momentum and confidence into their next match against University of Montana on Saturday, March 26. Match time is set for 10 a.m. in the Aquatic and Tennis Complex; admission is free for all who attend.

Results

Doubles

1. Hanneke Lodewijks/Blanka Szavay (NAU) def. Alina Soltanici/Deimante Bulatovaite (SAC) 6-3
2. Ana Loaiza Esquivias/Jennifer Ong (SAC) def. Eirene Granville/Hailey Rochin (NAU) 6-1
3. Anna-Maria Nau/Emily McColl (SAC) def. Jordan Denesik/Marta Lewandowska (NAU)  7-6(8-6)

Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3

Singles

1. Hanneke Lodewijks (NAU) def. Alina Soltanici (SAC) 7-6(5), 6-3
2. Blanka Szavay (NAU) def. Jennifer Ong (SAC) 6-2, 2-6, 6-2
3. Ana Loaiza Esquivias (SAC) def. Marta Lewandowska (NAU) 6-2, 6-3
4. Deimante Bulatovaite (SAC) def. Hailey Rochin (NAU) 7-5, 6-3
5. Jordan Denesik (NAU) def. Andie Mouzes (SAC) 2-6, 7-5, 7-5
6. Eirene Granville (NAU) def. Sofia Wicker (SAC) 6-2, 6-4

Order of Finish: 4, 6, 3, 1, 2, 5*

*Clinched the match