PHOENIX, Ariz. (April 27, 2019) – The Northern Arizona women's tennis team had been in this position before – three consecutive years to be exact – standing across the net from Idaho in the Big Sky Championship match. Three straight years, Idaho ended NAU's season. After Saturday's statement-proclaiming 4-0 victory, the 'Jacks can officially consider the Vandals vanquished.
The Lumberjacks refused to be denied a fourth straight time by their biggest conference rival on the Big Sky's biggest stage. Instead, they are headed to the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in program history, snapping a 20-year drought and capturing their fourth all-time conference tournament title in the process. NAU (15-8) also extended its winning streak to a school-record tying 11 matches.
"I'm absolutely proud of every one of the ladies not only today because they worked for this the entire season," said head coach
Ewa Bogusz. "They didn't take days off, came back from tough losses and worked even harder. Their willpower and work ethic are what got them the title today."
On court one, junior
Chiara Tomasetti and Idaho's Marianna Petrei squared off in the headlining match – a match that embodied the two teams' rivalry. On one side stood Petrei – the three-time Big Sky Most Valuable Player – with an unblemished 47-0 career record against conference opponents. On the other side, Tomasetti – whose only loss this season came at the hands of Petrei just a week ago.
With NAU leading the match, 3-0, the Lumberjacks' captain delivered in the biggest moment. Petrei's final shot of her career sailed long, and as quickly as Tomasetti's teammates piled on her, three years of heartbreak was a memory of the past.
"We knew this was (Chiara's) last chance to beat her," Bogusz said. "Chiara is our team captain and she deserves this win more than ever. Petrei was such a consistent player over her four years – she was undefeated in Big Sky – and that win just goes to show what Chiara has in her pocket."
Tomasetti's 6-1, 6-2 championship-clincher capped a dominating performance by the Lumberjacks at the Phoenix Tennis Center. NAU earned the doubles point and proceeded to pick up the necessary three singles victories in convincing fashion.
Sophomore
Madi Moore and freshman
Emilie Haakansson put the Lumberjacks on the board first with their 6-2 win at No. 3 doubles over Laura Spataro and Maggie Chen. The two teams split the first two completed doubles matches with senior
Hanneke Lodewijks and sophomore
Ellie Millard blanking Anna Stefani and Marta Magalhaes, 6-0, at No. 2.
Millard made quick work, 6-1, 6-0, of Spataro at No. 3 singles to lift NAU to a 2-0 advantage. Haakansson followed that up by defeating Magalhaes, 6-0, 6-3, at No. 5 to put the Lumberjacks within a point of the title, which Tomasetti would secure at No. 1.
"We had a tough season, didn't have the best start, but we won today in the most important match so I'm super proud of the whole team," Tomasetti said. "We've been through a lot with (Idaho) – for me for the last two years and for some the last three years – but winning this tournament is what we wanted and winning it against them is the cherry on top."
Lodewijks was close to picking up a win at No. 2 as she led Maria Tavares, 6-3, 5-2, when Tomasetti clinched the match. Moore was ahead at a set at No. 6 and freshman
Adrianna Sosnowska was locked in a three-set match at No. 3.
"Everyone played their best tennis this tournament," Lodewijks said. "Everyone fought really hard and for each other. After we lost to Sac State (on March 18), we knew we needed to work even harder to turn our season around. I'm very happy to end my career at NAU like this."
NAU will learn its NCAA Tournament first round opponent during the NCAA Selection Show on Monday, April 29 at 3:30 p.m. The Selection Show will be streamed on NCAA.com.
Results:
Doubles:
