TEMPE, Calif. — The preseason Big Sky Conference favorites narrowly beat the Aggies, 4-3, in a neutral site heartbreaker on Sunday.

The Lumberjacks were not able to field a full lineup of six players, resulting in wins for UC Davis by default at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles, giving the Aggies a 1-0 advantage to start the dual.

UC Davis earned the doubles point, and sophomore Sara Tsukamoto recorded a three-set victory at the No. 2 position after the clinch to bump the overall score to 4-3.

Needing just one doubles victory out of the two matches on court, Nikita Pradeep and Shirley Hall managed to hold off NAU's No. 2 doubles team 7-5, to secure the point for UC Davis for a 2-0 lead going into singles play.

Unfortunately, Northern Arizona showed the depth of their bench, taking the matches at No. 4 and No. 5 to even the team score at 2-2, with the remaining three matches in a third set, all at the top of the lineup. 

At No. 1 singles, nationally-ranked No. 75 Chiara Tomasetti proved her ranking, handing Pradeep just her seventh loss in a dual match for the Aggies in her career at Davis. Hall's opponent clinched the match for the Lumberjacks at No. 3 singles, taking the third set 6-2.

At the clinch, Tsukamoto led NAU's Ellie Millard 4-3 in the third. Facing double-break point, Tsukamoto rattled off six straight points to hold, then break serve to close out the third set 6-3.

UC Davis returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 26 for its home opener against the San Francisco Dons at 11 AM. Marya Welch Tennis Center will see a busy day for Aggie tennis fans, as the men's team will also host a doubleheader at home against Nevada at 10 AM, and Sonoma State at 2 PM, also on Saturday.

Northern Arizona 4, UC Davis 3

Doubles
1. Chiara Tomasetti/Adrianna Sosnowska (NAU) def. Kelsie Bryant/Sara Tsukamoto (UCD) 6-4
2. Nikita Pradeep/Shirley Hall (UCD) def. Ellie Millard/Emilie Haakansson (NAU) 7-5
3. Isabella von Ebbe/Jessica Walker (UCD) def. NAU, forfeit

Order of finish: 3, 1, 2*

Singles
1. No. 75 Chiara Tomasetti (NAU) def. Nikita Pradeep (UCD) 6-1, 2-6, 6-0
2. Sara Tsukamoto (UCD) def. Ellie Millard (NAU) 4-6, 6-0, 6-3
3. Emilie Haakansson (NAU) def. Shirley Hall (UCD) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
4. Adrianna Sosnowska (NAU) def. Jessica Walker (UCD) 7-6, 6-2
5. Madi Moore (NAU) def. Skyler Holm (UCD) 6-3, 6-1
6. Kelsie Bryant (UCD) def. NAU, forfeit

Order of finish: 6, 5, 4, 1, 3*, 2

ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation, according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.

AGGIE EVO
Established during the 2017-18 academic year, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.