TEMPE, Ariz. (January 31, 2020) – While the competition took a step up as the season moved forward, Northern Arizona freshman
Gina Dittmann proved to be up for the challenge.
Facing off with Arizona State senior Ilze Hattingh, who ranks No. 37 in the Oracle/ITA Singles rankings, Dittmann traded games throughout the day as she forced a tiebreaking third set.
Though the freshman ultimately fell 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 10-8 to cap off the Lumberjacks' trip to Tempe, Dittmann once again proved head coach
Ewa Bogusz right in placing her high in the order to start her college career.
"Gina competed really well which is great to see from a freshman playing a the top of the line up," said NAU head coach
Ewa Bogusz. "We took a lot from today and are looking forward for a quick turn around and playing again next weekend."
NAU (2-1) finished the day with a 7-0 loss to No. 24 ASU, with the Sun Devils (3-1) capturing the doubles point on a pair of 6-1 victories before clinching the team victory with a few straight set victories in singles. Dittmann's match was the final one to go final, with the freshman's first set running nearly an hour.
Dittmann pulled ahead 3-1 against Hattingh, who also peaked at No. 38 in the singles rankings last season, as she won three straight games following a loss to open the match. The two traded games, and combined for six serve breaks in the first 10 games of the set, before Hattingh held on for the 7-5 victory.
Again dropping the first game of the set, Dittmann forced a tiebreaker to decide the second after evening the score at 6-6. In the deciding tiebreaker, Dittmann and Hattingh swapped the first six points before ASU's senior pulled out to a 6-3 advantage.
Once again, NAU's freshman rallied back to trail 6-5 and again to cut an 8-5 lead down to 9-8 before Hattingh finally pulled out the victory on Court 1.
Fellow freshman
Ava Neyestani also found some success against ASU, beating Giulia Morlet in the opening set 6-3 before falling 6-0, 6-0 to wrap up the match.
In doubles, Hattingh paired with Lauryn John-Baptiste, the No. 50 pairing in the country, to face off with
Ellie Millard and
Mimi Bland at No. 1. Millard and Bland trailed 4-1 before the senior won on serve to cut the deficit to 4-2. With both other matches going final at 6-1 in favor of ASU, the match went unfinished before NAU could finish its serve again.
"We had a slow start in doubles and if you don't set the tone in the first few games, with such a short format it goes away quickly," Bogusz said. "We did put up a fight in singles though, had some good performances, Ellie lead the team well with her energy."
NAU returns to the court with another in-state trip next weekend, as the Lumberjacks head to Tucson for a pair of matches against the Arizona Wildcats and Gonzaga Bulldogs. Arizona enters the match at 3-1 while Gonzaga sits 3-0 with wins over Big Sky Conference schools Eastern Washington and Montana.
The Lumberjacks will face the Wildcats Friday afternoon before facing the Bulldogs on Saturday morning.
