FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (January 30, 2019) – The Northern Arizona women's tennis resumes play this weekend in Tucson with a pair of dual matches versus Memphis and Arizona. The Lumberjacks will face the Tigers on Friday at 2:30 p.m. and the Wildcats on Saturday at 10 a.m. with both matches at Arizona's LaNelle Robson Tennis Center.
"We had a good opening weekend to the season going 1-1 (at Arizona State two weeks ago)," said head coach
Ewa Bogusz. "We were pretty happy with how we were able to put what we practiced into our matches and we're hoping to do it again this weekend. We have two great opponents this weekend and it'll be a good opportunity for our team to play against two tough teams."
Two weeks ago, NAU split its first two dual matches of the spring in Tempe. The Lumberjacks rallied for a 4-3 victory over UC Davis and then battled Arizona State tough on its home court in a 4-0 loss.
Four 'Jacks picked up their first singles wins of the dual season with junior
Chiara Tomasetti (No. 1), freshman
Emilie Haakansson (No. 3), freshman
Adrianna Sosnowska (No. 4) and sophomore
Madi Moore (No. 5) earning victories against the Aggies. After NAU dropped the doubles point to UC Davis, the Lumberjacks responded by taking four of the five singles matches that were contested. Haakansson clinched the NAU's season-opening win with her first collegiate dual victory.
Although their matches went unfinished against Arizona State, Tomasetti and Moore were in good positions to earn a second singles win. Tomasetti, ranked No. 75 nationally, took the first set against her Sun Devil opponent and was leading the second set, 2-0. Moore dropped her first set, but was locked in a 4-4 tie in the second set.
In doubles, Tomasetti and Sosnowska slotted into the top position in the lineup and posted a 1-1 record. Tomasetti and Sosnowska's 6-4 win against UC Davis was NAU's lone doubles victory of the first weekend.
The Lumberjacks will square off against Memphis on Friday for just the second time in program history. NAU won the first meeting, 5-4, in 2000.
On the heels of their highest year-end national ranking since 2014 (No. 71), the Tigers dropped their first two matches of the season at the ITA Kick-off Weekend last week. Memphis fell to No. 2 Vanderbilt, 4-0, and Winthrop, 4-3. The Tigers notched three singles wins last week led by Laura Bente's win at No. 2 versus Winthrop.
Bente, Aleks Topalovic (No. 3) and Claire Sullivan (No. 5) posted singles victories against the Eagles last Saturday.
On Saturday, NAU and Arizona will face off for the seventh straight year in Tucson and the Lumberjacks will be in search of their first all-time win against their in-state rival in the 34th all-time meeting. Last season, the Lumberjacks were defeated, 7-0, but they did notch a win at No. 2 doubles.
While the Wildcats will playing their first dual matches of the season this weekend – first hosting Memphis Friday morning prior to Memphis' match versus NAU in the afternoon – they have seen the court in three straight weekends. Arizona has competed at the Collegiate Tennis Classic and Fullerton Invitational in addition to shutting out Team Japan, 7-0, last Friday in an exhibition match.
Emma Wilson, a Fresno State transfer, is ranked No. 86 in the nation and leads the Wildcats with nine overall singles wins thus far this season. Csenge Furak and Gitte Heynemans both have tallied eight overall singles wins to rank behind Wilson.
