FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — For the first time this season, Sacramento State dropped a Big Sky Conference match, falling at Northern Arizona, 6-1, on Saturday morning at the Flagstaff Aquatic and Tennis Complex.
The Hornets (9-12, 7-1) had won their first seven conference matches of the season prior to today's loss. Sacramento State still remains in a virtual tie for first place in the Big Sky standings with Weber State (6-0). The loss snapped a three-game winnings streak and the Hornets had won six of their last seven matches entering the day.
Playing without Christopher Clayton (injury), Sacramento State traveled only six players on a two-day trip that saw the Hornets defeat Southern Utah yesterday by a 7-0 score. However, Northern Arizona (9-10, 5-3) was too tough today, and the Lumberjacks won their third straight and improved to 6-1 on its home courts.
The Hornets started the match off well, winning the doubles point as, amazingly, all three doubles matches between the two teams went to a tiebreak. Sacramento State won two of those tiebreaks, as the No. 2 tandem of Donald Hall and Dom Miller won their match, 7-6 (3), and the No. 3 team of Uli Vollath and Joaquin Marquez won by a 7-6 (4) score. Sacramento State's Mikus Lobergs and Kasparas Zemaitelis lost at No. 1 doubles by a 7-6 (6) outcome.
In singles play, however, it was all Northern Arizona as the Lumberjacks swept each of the six matches. That included winning five of those matches in straight sets.
Losbergs (6-1, 7-5 at No. 1), Zemaitelis (6-2, 6-2 at No. 2), Marquez (5-7, 6-0, 10-5 at No. 3), Miller (6-3, 6-2 at No. 4), Hall (6-1, 6-3 at No. 5) and Vollath (6-4, 6-0 at No. 6) each lost. Hall, Marquez and Miller had their three-match singles winning streaks snapped.
Sacramento State has just three matches remaining in the regular season, and each of those will come next week against a Big Sky opponent. The Hornets open the week with their final regular season home match on Monday against Montana at 1 p.m. Sacramento State then plays at Idaho State on Friday, and Weber State on Saturday.
Depending on how things shake out, the matchup at Weber State on Saturday could determine the Big Sky's regular season champion and the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament which takes place April 29-May 1 at the Gold River Racquet Club.
