FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (April 15, 2021) – Saturday's Big Sky Conference finale against the Weber State Wildcats offers the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks a chance to clinch the newly created South Division title.
Sitting 2-0 in the conference, and 10-4 overall, the Lumberjacks previously defeated Sacramento State 6-1 and Idaho State 5-2 earlier this season. The abbreviated Big Sky schedule leaves little margin for error, as just two of the four teams qualify for the conference tournament through the three matches against one another.
Weber State (6-9) edged Idaho State 4-3 in Ogden, Utah on April 2, but will not finish its conference schedule on Saturday. Originally scheduled to face both Idaho State and Weber State on the road this past weekend, Sacramento State postponed the matches due to COVID-19 protocols within the Hornets' program.
It leaves the South Division in somewhat of a holding pattern, as NAU and Weber State were originally going to complete conference play among the four schools. However, the Lumberjacks still enter with the opportunity to finish 3-0 and avoid any potential tiebreakers for a tournament berth.
Entering the contest on a 17-match win streak against the Wildcats, the Lumberjacks will look to avoid their first loss to Weber State since 2006. The run includes four Big Sky Conference tournament meetings with the Wildcats, three coming in the semifinals.
The teams did not meet in 2020 due to the COVID-19 cancellation, but seniors
Ellie Millard and
Madi Moore each hold a singles victory over the Wildcats in their careers in addition to a pair of doubles wins.
Weber State's seven-player roster includes three upperclassmen, with senior Pei-Hsuan Kuo playing at No. 1 in both the 2018 and 2019 meetings. Juniors Yunna Ukita and Megan Lombardi played No. 2 and No. 5 respectively during the 2019 matchup in Flagstaff.
Kuo holds a 7-8 record this season, playing at No. 4 and No. 5 this year. The senior's split time at the two spots with Megan Davies, though Kuo has played on Court 5 during the past few weeks.
Ukita has taken over the role of Weber State's primary No. 1 this season, holding a 5-8 record at the spot while Lombardi is 4-11 this year while splitting time between No. 2 and No. 3. Freshman Sicely Ferreira holds the top singles record on the team, going 9-4 overall this year including 9-3 on Court 6.
The Wildcats have sent out seven different doubles pairings this year, with Davies and Ferreira undefeated with a 4-0 record at No. 2. Ana Morett Salas and Ukita's 8-5 record at No. 1 leads the team in victories through its 15 matches this season.
Meanwhile a pair of Lumberjacks enter the match with double-digit win streaks, as sophomore
Mimi Bland equaled freshman
Gina Dittmann's 10 straight victories last week. Bland swept her matches, playing once apiece at No. 2 and No. 3 while Dittmann's match at No. 1 did not end before NAU clinched a victory over UTEP.
Senior
Ellie Millard has compiled a six-match win streak of her own dating back to the start of March, improving to 8-5 overall this year. Freshman
Ava Neyestani enters the match still undefeated in Flagstaff, holding a 6-0 record while not dropping a set in the Aquatic and Tennis Complex this season.
Just two weeks remain before the Big Sky Conference tournament at Phoenix Tennis Center, with the semifinals scheduled for May 1 and the championship match on May 2. Fans will be allowed to attend as long as they wear masks while in the facility.
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