FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (February 7, 2019) – After spending their first two weekends of the spring on their Pac-12 in-state foes' courts, the Northern Arizona women's tennis will host a trio of teams in the friendly confines of the Aquatic and Tennis Complex this weekend. The Lumberjacks will open their 11-match home schedule with a Friday doubleheader versus Mesa Community College (10 a.m.) and New Mexico State (3 p.m.).
Following their Friday doubleheader, NAU will host Utah State at 10 a.m. on Sunday. All home matches are free for all fans to attend. The first 50 fans to Sunday's match will receive a free NAU cooler bag.
"We are excited to play our first home matches of the season," said head coach
Ewa Bogusz. "We can't wait to play in front of our fans and the community. We are motivated to continue our start to the season."
The 'Jacks will gladly make their home debut after two challenging weekends of play to open the spring in Tempe and Tucson. After splitting against UC Davis and Arizona State, NAU dropped two tight matches to Memphis (4-2) and Arizona (5-2) last weekend, resulting in NAU's 1-3 record entering its home opener.
Since the Aquatic and Tennis Complex's opening in 2016, NAU is a dominating 22-1 at its home facility over the last three years. The Lumberjacks have posted undefeated home records in each of the last two seasons and in total has won 21 straight matches at the ATC since March 19, 2016.
Junior
Chiara Tomasetti will lead the Lumberjacks into battle this weekend coming off her second Big Sky Women's Tennis Player of the Week award of the season. Tomasetti, ranked No. 106 in this week's Oracle/ITA Division I rankings, owns a perfect record of 3-0 at No. 1 singles. Her 3-0 mark is second to only Weber State's Megan Lombardi – combined between No. 5 and No. 6 – in the Big Sky Conference.
Freshman
Adrianna Sosnowska's 2-1 record at No. 4 singles is second-best on the team thus far. Tomasetti and Sosnowska accounted for NAU's two points against Memphis last Friday in Tucson.
Sophomore
Ellie Millard (No. 2), freshman
Emilie Haakansson (No. 3), sophomore
Madi Moore (No. 5) and senior
Eirene Granville (No. 6) have rounded out NAU's singles lineup through the first four dual matches of the spring. Haakansson and Moore have one singles win each.
The Lumberjacks are 4-4 in doubles play in matches that were contested and completed. After dropping the doubles point in its first three matches, NAU responded by claiming the point against Arizona last Saturday. Haakansson and Millard at No. 2 clinched the doubles point versus the Wildcats after Tomasetti and Sosnowska put the 'Jacks in position with a win at No. 1.
Tomasetti and Sosnowska are a team-best 2-2 in doubles play.
NAU's first of two Friday matches against Mesa Community College will be its first head-to-head meeting in over 25 years. The Lumberjacks defeated the Thunderbirds, 9-0, in 1993 and overall has won 17 of 23 all-time meetings. The Thunderbirds have won three of the past five Arizona Community College Athletic Conference championships.
After opening with the Thunderbirds, the 'Jacks will host New Mexico State in the afternoon. NAU defeated New Mexico State, 5-2, last year on the road, marking its second win over the Aggies in the last three seasons. Although NAU has had recent success, New Mexico State leads the all-time series 16-12.
New Mexico State is 1-1 this spring, picking up a 6-1 home win over Western New Mexico and dropping a 7-0 match on the road at Arizona. As a team, New Mexico State is 5-7 in dual singles matches and 3-2 in doubles. Rebecca Keijzerwaard and Lindsay Harlas are the Aggies' primary No. 1 and 2 players.
On Sunday, NAU will look for its fifth consecutive win over Utah State in as many years dating back to 2015. The Lumberjacks' 4-0 road win last season extended their dominant all-time series advantage 13-2.
Utah State takes a 1-3 record into the weekend having already played two Big Sky teams. The Aggies snuck by Southern Utah, 4-3, for their only win of the spring and was recently defeated by Idaho State by an identical score last Sunday. At No. 4 singles, Lucy Octave is an unbeaten 3-0, while Sidnee Lavatai is 2-1 at the bottom of the Utah State lineup.
"We are facing very solid teams this weekend," Bogusz said. "I'm confident in our team, but this weekend will also show us where we're at."
