Flagstaff, Ariz.- OUAZ Men's Tennis started its non-conference slate on Saturday with a road doubleheader against NCAA Division I Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, where the Spirit fell 7–0 in both duals. The matches provided an early-season test against a veteran NAU roster that has been a consistent contender in the Big Sky Conference.
Match One – NAU 7, OUAZ 0
NAU opened the day by securing the doubles point behind a sweep across all three courts. At No. 1 doubles, Razvan Lazar and Arvid Lindblad were edged 6–2 by Takumi Katsuda and Jakub Jedrzejczak, while OUAZ's No. 2 tandem of Filip Novacek and Kasper Olofsson likewise fell 6–2 to Noa Tcherniack and Jakub Volesky. The Lumberjacks clinched the point at No. 3 doubles as Max López-Gonzalez and Fabian Wetter were defeated 6–0 by Felix Neumeister and Daniels Tens. The order of finish was 1, 3, 2.
Singles saw NAU extend its lead with straight-set wins across all six lines. The Lumberjacks first clinched the dual with victories at the lower positions—Daniels Tens defeated López-Gonzalez 6–1, 6–4 at No. 5, while Ivan Perisic topped Albin By 6–0, 6–1 at No. 6. Jakob Jedrzejczak then sealed the match with a 6–2, 6–1 result over Lindblad at No. 2, followed closely by a 6–2, 6–2 win for Katsuda over Novacek at No. 3.
At the top of the lineup, Lazar battled Tcherniack at No. 1, but the NAU standout secured a 6–1, 6–0 result. Olofsson closed singles play on court four, falling 6–1, 6–2 to Neumeister. The singles order of finish was 5, 6, 2, 3, 1, 4.
Match Two – NAU 7, OUAZ 0
The afternoon dual followed a similar script, with NAU again capturing the doubles point via a sweep. OUAZ's No. 3 team of By and Dylan Dodge fell 6–1 to Neumeister and Tens, followed by a 6–1 win at No. 1 doubles for Jedrzejczak and Volesky over López-Gonzalez and Wetter. NAU completed the doubles point at No. 2, where Katsuda and Tcherniack defeated Boston McFarland and Novacek 6–2. The order of finish was 3, 1, 2.
In singles, NAU gained early control by securing quick wins at the bottom of the lineup. Perisic defeated Dodge 6–0, 6–0 at No. 6, while Tens replicated the scoreline with a 6–0, 6–0 victory over By at No. 5. Katsuda clinched the dual shortly after with a 6–0, 6–0 win over McFarland at No. 4.
At No. 1 singles, Jedrzejczak topped Novacek 6–0, 6–1, while Volesky earned a 6–2, 6–0 result against López-Gonzalez at No. 3. The most competitive match of the second dual came at No. 2, where Wetter pushed into longer rallies and held serve stretches in the second set before falling 6–0, 6–4 to Tcherniack. The singles order of finish was 6, 5, 4, 1, 3, 2.
Looking Ahead
Though both duals went to NAU by 7–0 margins, the Spirit collected valuable repetition at every position and logged extended match volume early in the semester—experience that will serve the team as it transitions toward GSAC competition.
OUAZ now looks to regroup on the road as it travels to Southern California to face Whittier College on February 4 at 4:00 PM.
