MEN’S TENNIS BEATS IDAHO STATE, GAINS NO. 2 SEED IN NEXT WEEK’S BIG SKY TOURNAMENT

4/14/2012

Playing his first match of the season at No. 2 singles, freshman Marek Marksoo won his 10th straight match

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento State’s Aliaksandr Malko, Marek Marksoo, Sean Kolar, Roy Brandys and Tom Miller each won their singles matches in straight sets to help the Hornets to a 6-1 victory over Idaho State in a Big Sky Conference men’s tennis match Saturday afternoon at the Rio Del Oro Racquet Club.

With the victory, Sacramento State concludes the regular season with a 9-12 overall record and a 7-1 mark in the Big Sky. The Hornets’ one conference loss, however, came against Montana (7-0) which clinched the league’s regular season title earlier today with a 6-1 home win over Eastern Washington. Montana concludes its regular season tomorrow against Montana State, but the Grizzlies will get the No. 1 seed in the Big Sky Tournament regardless of tomorrow’s outcome.

Next week’s Big Sky Tournament will take place at the Gold River Racquet Club where No. 1 seed Montana will face No. 4 seed Weber State (5-3) in one semifinal match. Sacramento State gained the No. 2 seed and will play No. 3 Eastern Washington (6-2) in the other semifinal on Saturday. The winner of Sunday’s championship match will receive an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, a place the Hornets have been seven times in the last 11 years. In fact, Sacramento State will be seeking its fourth straight, and 10th Big Sky Tournament championship since joining the league in 1996-97.

Sacramento State defeated Eastern Washington earlier this year at home (4-3), beat Weber State at home (6-1) and lost on the road at Montana (4-3). The loss to Montana snapped a 24-match winning streak against Big Sky teams which dated back to 2010.

The Hornets won six of their last eight matches of the regular season, and pulled off a 7-1 Big Sky record despite using five freshmen in every match this year.

In today’s contest, Malko (6-0, 6-0 at No. 1), Marksoo (6-3, 6-0 at No. 2), Kolar (7-5, 6-3 at No. 4), Brandys (6-0, 6-2 at No. 5) and Miller (6-0, 6-1 at No. 6) each won their singles matches in quick fashion. Marksoo, who had played at Nos. 3, 4 and 5 in the singles lineup throughout the season, moved up to the No. 2 spot today and didn’t skip a beat. The Tallinn, Estonia, native won his 10th straight singles match while improving to 16-3 this season.

In doubles play, the Hornet tandems of Javier Millan/Marksoo (8-4 at No. 1), and Miller/Kolar (8-5 at No. 2) were each victorious to earn Sacramento State the doubles point.

Apr 14, 2012 at Sacramento, Calif.
(Rio Del Oro Racquet Club)
Sacramento State 6, Idaho State 1

Singles competition
1. MALKO, Aliaksandr (SAC) def. Charles Norman (ISU) 6-0, 6-0
2. MARKSOO, Marek (SAC) def. Nate Gross (ISU) 6-3, 6-0
3. Krzysztof Stempien (ISU) def. MILLAN, Javier (SAC) 7-5, 6-3
4. KOLAR, Sean (SAC) def. Dan Buckingham (ISU) 7-5, 6-3
5. BRANDYS, Roy (SAC) def. Austin Miller (ISU) 6-0, 6-2
6. MILLER, Tom (SAC) def. Andres Coello (ISU) 6-0, 6-1

Doubles competition
1. MILLAN, Javier/MARKSOO, Marek (SAC) def. Charles Norman/Dakota Pate (ISU) 8-4
2. MILLER, Tom/KOLAR, Sean (SAC) def. Dan Buckingham/Nate Gross (ISU) 8-5
3. Andres Coello/Krzysztof Stempien (ISU) def. EMERY, Blake/HULTKRANTZ, Jonathan (SAC) 8-2

Match Notes:
Idaho State 7-11, 4-4
Sacramento State 9-12, 7-1
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (5,6,1,2,4,3)