TEMPE, Ariz. (June 9, 2021) – While it was already clear just how special this past spring season was for the Northern Arizona women's tennis team, Wednesday's Oracle ITA Division I Women's Mountain Region Rankings added just a little more prestige.
The Lumberjacks not only landed in the ITA Mountain Region's team rankings for the fifth straight season, they finished No. 2 ahead of schools such as No. 3 Colorado and No. 4 Utah from the Pac-12. The ranking is the program's highest mark ever in the Mountain Region, which was created in 2010 when the ITA expanded from eight regions to its current number of 12.
"It's great to see us not only being recognized in the Mountain Region, but also highly-ranked among such powerful teams," said NAU head coach
Ewa Bogusz. "It's a strong region, so I'm very happy for this young team. It's just the beginning for us."
Additionally, freshman
Gina Dittmann landed atop the Mountain Region's singles rankings after placing at No. 117 in last week's national rankings. The Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year, All-Big Sky First Team honoree and MVP, Dittmann finished the year with a 15-1 record and dropped just three full sets during her first season as a Lumberjack.
During the year, Dittmann defeated No. 8 Izumi Asano of UNLV 6-1, 6-2, No. 11 Carolina Millan of Utah State 6-4, 6-3, No. 14 Maria Oreshkina from Wyoming 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 and No. 17 Yuuna Ukita of Weber State twice, 6-2, 6-1 and then 6-2, 7-5 in the Big Sky Conference Tournament.
Sophomore
Mimi Bland also broke into the Mountain Region's rankings, sitting at No. 9 following a season where she earned All-Big Sky First Team with her singles record of 14-3. Bland dominated at No. 3, holding a 13-1 record on the court. Bland won 12 consecutive matches between Feb. 13 and April 23, including one appearance at No. 2 against UTEP, and moved into NAU's all-time top 10 for victories at No. 3.
Bland also earned a top 10 ranking in doubles, as she and senior
Ellie Millard finished the year at No. 10. Holding a 9-8 record, all at No. 1, Bland and Millard also earned All-Big Sky First Team for their doubles play. The duo are currently on a five-match win streak, with a pair of victories coming against Weber State's No. 8-ranked pairing of Yuuna Ukita and Ana Morett-Salas during the run.
The pairing's final match of the season against Ashley Lahey and Lisa Zaar of the No. 5-ranked Pepperdine Waves went unfinished at 4-4 in the NCAA Tournament last month.
To see all of the Mountain Region's rankings, as well as those from the 11 other regions, click
here.
