FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (April 29, 2021) – Voted first in the Big Sky Preseason Poll back in January, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks now enter this weekend's conference tournament needing just two more victories to return to the NCAA Tournament.
The Big Sky's defending tournament champion, and winners of 15 consecutive games against conference opponents, NAU rolled through its three matches this season with a combined 17-4 score. While they did face the three other Big Sky South Division members, Idaho State, Sacramento State and Weber State, the Lumberjacks enter the tournament facing a unique circumstance.
Rather than facing every team in the conference ahead of a rematch at the conference tournament, NAU enters Saturday's semifinal facing the Portland State Vikings (9-10) for the first time since February 2020.
"It's definitely different than in the previous years where we saw each opponent during the regular season, however we are making this weekend about ourselves and we are preparing mentally," said NAU head coach
Ewa Bogusz. "We are where we want to be with our tennis level and with our physical preparation. I think the girls are in a good mindset right now."
In addition to not facing one another this season, the two programs did not share a common opponent during the regular season. Finishing as the runner-up in the Big Sky's North Division, Portland State beat Montana, Montana State and Idaho before falling to division champion Eastern Washington.
After locking up a tournament berth with a 4-3 victory against Idaho, two months after dropping a non-conference meeting against the Vandals in Eugene, Ore., the Vikings nearly beat the Eagles on the road for the North Division title.
The middle of the Vikings' lineup has been Portland State's strength this season, with 12 wins at No. 2, 3 and 4. Freshman Capucine Sanoner enters the tournament with a 10-3 record on Court 2, including a 4-0 run against the Big Sky.
Fellow freshman Makoto Ohara holds a 7-4 record at No. 3 while junior Emily Rees finished the regular season 4-2 on Court 3 and 8-3 on Court 4. Rees played No. 6 against the Lumberjacks last season, winning 6-3, 6-3 after falling 6-1 at No. 3 in doubles.
Portland State's No. 1 Lotti Meszaros dropped both of her matches against Northern Arizona in the past, with a 6-2, 6-2 loss at No. 1 in 2020 and a 7-5, 6-2 loss at No. 2 in 2019. No. 6 Gerda Upeniece has also faced NAU twice in her career, falling 6-2, 6-1 at No. 6 in 2019 and 6-1, 6-2 at No. 4 in 2018.
Sanoner and Ohara hold a team-best 11-3 doubles record at No. 1 this season, with both winning Conference Player of the Week once during the regular season. Meszaros and Rees finished 9-8 at No. 2 and Upeniece and Ashley Ramirez hold a 11-4 record at No. 3.
One of Upeniece's losses came against NAU's
Ellie Millard, who holds a 3-0 record against Portland State in singles.
Elinor Beazley earned a three-set victory at No. 5 last season as well as a 6-1 win at No. 3 in doubles while
Mimi Bland helped clinch the point with a 7-6 victory at No. 1 doubles.
NAU's entire singles lineup will enter the tournament coming off a victory, led by
Mimi Bland's 12-match win streak while
Gina Dittmann trails by one with an 11-match run. Bland's 14 victories this season lead the Big Sky Conference, with her 13-1 record at No. 3 well ahead of any other player.
Dittmann's 12 wins at No. 1 also paces the conference while her 13-1 record overall trails only Bland. Millard's seven straight victories moved her up to a 9-5 record this year, just ahead of Beazley's 8-5 record.
Freshman
Ava Neyestani ranks third on the team in singles victories at 10-6, winning three straight, with a perfect 8-0 record at home thanks to 16 straight set victories at the Aquatic and Tennis Complex.
Neyestani also holds a two-match win streak alongside
Madi Moore on Court 3 in doubles, while Millard and Bland have won three straight on Court 1. Beazley and Dittmann's 9-6 record leads the roster, with the Lumberjacks playing an identical doubles lineup through all 16 matches this season.
Fans will be able to attend Saturday's 8 a.m. semifinal, as well as the championship match set for 8 a.m. on Sunday, provided they wear masks when in attendance at the Phoenix Tennis Center.
Saturday's winner between NAU and Portland State will face Eastern Washington or Weber State, who also play at 8 a.m. in Phoenix on Saturday morning.
For update scores and coverage of the NAU women's tennis team at the Big Sky Conference Tournament, follow the team on
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