FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (April 17, 2021) – After grinding out the doubles point, the Northern Arizona women's tennis team made quick work of Weber State, 6-1, to clinch the Big Sky South Division on Saturday. The victory was the Lumberjacks' fifth consecutive as they improved to 11-4 overall and a perfect 7-0 at home.
With the win, NAU wrapped up its abbreviated conference slate at 3-0 and clinched a spot in the Big Sky Championship tournament in two weeks. It was also NAU's 13th consecutive conference regular season win and 15th overall versus a Big Sky opponent.
NAU swept the doubles point, but not without some resistance by Weber State, who entered Saturday afternoon's match in the Aquatic and Tennis Complex on a three-match winning streak.
Senior
Ellie Millard and sophomore
Mimi Bland blanked the Wildcats' No. 1 pair of Yuuna Ukita and Ana Morett Salas, 6-0, in the first completed doubles match, leaving the Lumberjacks one win away from the early advantage. The remaining two doubles matches wound up going to a tiebreaker, with sophomore
Elinor Beazley and freshman
Gina Dittmann securing their team-best ninth doubles win in the clincher.
Beazley and Dittmann held off Sicely Ferreira and Megan Davies' comeback efforts to clinch the doubles point with a 7-6 victory at No. 2. On court three, senior
Madi Moore and freshman
Ava Neyestani found themselves down 5-3 before they strung together a rally of their own to defeat the Wildcats' Pei-Hsuan Kuo and Megan Lombardi, 7-6.
Doubles was a challenge, but singles play proved to be anything but for NAU as the Lumberjacks posted the necessary three wins to clinch the match in quick succession.
Bland got the 'Jacks on the board in singles first, notching her 11th consecutive singles victory, 6-0, 6-1 over Lombardi at No. 3. Soon after, Millard rolled past Morett Salas, 6-1, 6-2 at No. 2 in earning her seventh straight singles victory before Dittmann immediately followed with the match-clinching point at No. 1.
Dittmann bested Ukita, 6-2, 6-1, to match Bland with her 11th straight win. After the Wildcats registered their lone point of the afternoon at No. 6, Beazley and Neyestani wrapped up the day with victories on courts five and four respectively.
Beazley defeated Kuo, 7-5, 6-3, while Neyestani emerged with a 6-4, 7-6 victory over Davies to remain undefeated in seven matches to begin her collegiate career at home.
Just one match remains on the regular season schedule for the Lumberjacks, next Friday versus Grand Canyon at 12 p.m. in the Aquatic and Tennis Complex. In addition to being the regular season finale, the match will also be Millard and Moore's last in Flagstaff on Senior Day.
Results:
Doubles:
