OGDEN, Utah (October 4, 2026) - The Northern Arizona women's tennis team had three Lumberjacks compete in the Big Sky Individual Championships this weekend. The tournament spanned three days, hosted by Weber State in Ogden, Utah. The tournament saw matches from eight Big Sky teams, including Eastern Washington, Idaho, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, Northern Arizona, Portland State, and Utah Tech.
NAU had senior Natalie Rainke and redshirt freshman Madelynn Ludwig compete in doubles over the three-day tournament, while Rainke and senior Andrea Noguera competed in singles.
No. 1 seed Rainke and Ludwig secured NAU's doubles bracket win for the weekend, arriving on the third day against Idaho State pair Emmy Richards and Veronika Zarovna, 8-4.
The doubles pair also saw wins against Montana's Remi Demblans Dechans and Emma Marais, 8-2, and Utah Tech's Mariana Zurita Berdecio and Ana Gutierrez Sampere, 8-3.
Rainke and Ludwig are continuing their success from Fall 2025 where they had the Lumberjacks' first appearance in the finals of doubles at ITA Mountain Regionals since 2019. Additionally, bringing home the doubles win at the Thunderbird Invite.
No. 1 seed Rainke defeated Paulina Aleksandrowicz from Weber State in her first match of the tournament, 6-2, 6-1. In straight sets, Rainke beat Zurita Berdecio, 6-1, 6-1. In the semifinals, Rainke continued her streak of straight set wins over Idaho's Naomi Schraeder, 6-2, 6-3. Over a three-set battle in the final against Yu-Ching Hsieh from Idaho, Rainke fell, 6-3, 3-6, 7(7)-6(5).
No. 2 seed Noguera bypassed the round of 32, heading into a match-up with Eastern Washington's Olivia Marais, defeating her in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3. Noguera continued on to quarterfinals where she fell to Hsieh, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
The Lumberjacks will return to the Thunderbird Invite later this month (Oct. 30-Nov. 1) in Tempe, Ariz
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