FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (October 21, 2019) – With nearly a month of training behind them since their last full team competition, the Northern Arizona women's tennis team heads to Las Vegas for the ITA Mountain Regional Championships running Wednesday through Sunday at UNLV's Fertitta Tennis Complex.
"We've spent three weeks at home working hard every day," said head coach
Ewa Bogusz. "They've pushed it in the weight room and fitness has been a focus. Tennis-wise, we've been working on singles and doubles and making good decisions so that we're prepared for the Mountain Regional Championships."
With the exception of senior
Chiara Tomasetti – who will enter this week's Mountain Regional Championships as the No. 1 player in the region and the defending singles champion – the rest of the Lumberjacks have not competed since their last trip to Las Vegas for the UNLV Fall Invitational during the last weekend of September.
Tomasetti was named the ITA Mountain Regional Player to Watch in May following her spectacular 2018-19 junior season. Last October, Tomasetti became the first Lumberjack in program history to win the regional singles championship, which automatically qualified her for the ITA National Fall Championships.
Tomasetti, ranked No. 71 in the nation, is coming off a two-match showing at the ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, Okla. two weeks ago. She owns a 6-3 record this fall and has two wins over players currently in the national rankings. Tomasetti will enter this week's Mountain Regional Championships as the top seed.
NAU will send a total of seven players to Las Vegas this week. Sophomore
Adrianna Sosnowska also has posted six singles wins this fall and is 6-2 overall. Fellow sophomore
Emilie Haakansson is 4-2 in singles play, as is freshman
Mimi Bland. Freshman
Elinor Beazley is 4-3 this fall, giving the 'Jacks five players with four or more singles wins.
Senior
Sydney Roman is 3-4 entering the weekend, while junior
Madi Moore is expected to make her fall debut in singles play.
The Lumberjacks will enter three teams into the doubles draw.
"I've really liked how our returners have led the freshmen along the way," Bogusz said. "I like how our freshmen are adjusting to the college tennis system and buying into our process and culture. The team chemistry is one thing that we've been impressed with since the beginning of the semester."
The regional singles and doubles champions will automatically qualify for next month's Oracle ITA National Fall Championships to be held in Newport Beach, Calif.
