FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (February 13, 2020) – Traveling out of the state for the first time this dual season, the Northern Arizona women's tennis team makes their way to Utah for a pair of weekend matches. The Lumberjacks will begin the weekend at BYU on Saturday at 10 a.m. and will wrap up their road trip with Utah State on Sunday at 11 a.m.
NAU will be looking for a breakthrough – and its first dual win of the spring – following a pair of hard-fought and closely contested losses to its two in-state Pac-12 rivals. After the 'Jacks opened the dual schedule with a 5-2 loss to Arizona State – ranked No. 18 nationally this week – they fell narrowly to Arizona last Friday by a 4-3 score.
The Lumberjacks found success early against the Wildcats, jumping on Arizona in doubles play and taking the doubles point. NAU impressively picked up wins at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles with sophomore
Adrianna Sosnowska and freshman
Mimi Bland clinching the doubles point.
NAU battled Arizona in singles, but came up one victory shy of its first all-time victory against the Wildcats. Senior
Chiara Tomasetti and sophomore
Emilie Haakansson both improved to a team-best 2-0 in singles matches during the dual season with victories at No. 1 and No. 4 respectively.
While Tomasetti, ranked No. 47 nationally, has won both of her dual matches in straight sets, Haakansson has grinded out a pair of three-set victories. The duo has combined for all four of NAU's singles wins through the first two dual matches and lead the team in overall singles wins between the fall and spring seasons. Tomasetti is 16-6 overall and Haakansson carries an 11-4 singles record.
Although Saturday's dual match will be the first all-time between NAU and BYU, the Lumberjacks did see the Cougars earlier this season at the four-team Hawai'i Weinman Foundation Invitational. BYU took two singles matches and one doubles match from NAU last month in Hawaii.
The Cougars are 3-2 this season with two of their three victories coming against Big Sky schools (Weber State and Idaho). BYU will make the short trip to Utah State on Friday before returning home to host NAU on Saturday.
BYU's No. 1 and 2 players in the lineup – Kate Cusick Truman and Leah Heimuli – are 3-2 in singles play this season, while Madeline Almeida has three wins at No. 3. In doubles, BYU is 12-3 as a team with Heimuli and Cusick Truman posting a 3-2 record at No. 1.
On Sunday, the Lumberjacks will be looking to avenge their only home loss last season, a 4-2 result to Utah State. Prior to last season, NAU had won four straight against Utah State and the 'Jacks are 13-3 all-time versus the Aggies.
Utah State is unbeaten at 3-0 this spring going into its Friday home match against BYU, including two wins against Southern Utah and Idaho State.
The Aggies have been dominant in singles play in dual matches, recording a 16-2 record as a team with three players – Zara Ryan, Annaliese County and Carolina Millan – holding perfect 3-0 records. County and Ryan are a perfect 2-0 in doubles at the No. 3 position.
