MEN’S TENNIS CLINCHES BIG SKY REGULAR SEASON TITLE WITH TWO MORE VICTORIES
3/29/2008
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Sacramento State men’s tennis team knocked off both Weber State (5-2) and Idaho State (7-0) today at Rio Del Oro Racquet Club to assure the squad of at least a share of the Big Sky Conference regular season championship for a third straight season.
The Hornets (13-7, 7-0), who have won eight straight matches, are now the lone remaining undefeated team in the Big Sky with just one match to play. In addition, Sacramento State owns the tiebreaker with the two teams in the Big Sky with one conference loss (Eastern Washington and Weber State). So, no matter what happens in the Hornets’ final regular season match of the season against Portland State on April 12, Sacramento State is assured of the No. 1 seed in the Big Sky Tournament and a first-round bye. The Hornets will host the Big Sky Tournament on April 25-27 at the Gold River Racquet Club.
“To lose seven players from last year’s team, and still clinch the No. 1 seed is a pretty amazing accomplishment,” Sacramento State assistant coach Kevin Kurtz said. “We’ve continued to win with almost a completely new group of guys, and that shows the competitiveness of this program.”
The only player to return from last year’s Hornet singles lineup is sophomore Anton Stryhas. The rest of the team’s lineup this year is made up of three freshmen, one sophomore and a junior.
In today’s sweep, Stryhas (2-0), Kiryl Harbatsiuk (2-0), Artur Klimenka (2-0) and Sven-David Rueff (2-0) were each perfect in singles play while the doubles tandems of Stryhas/Harbatsiuk, and Klimenka/Rueff were also victorious in both matches today.
Sacramento State combined to outscore Weber State and Idaho State by a 12-2 margin in singles play, and all but three of those victories came in straight sets.
The dominance of Stryhas continued today as the sophomore has now won 17 consecutive singles matches and is 19-1 this season, including 8-0 at No. 1, 10-1 at No. 2, and 1-0 at No. 3. During the winning streak, 15 of those victories have come in straight sets, and his only loss of the season came in three sets to Loyola Marymount’s Sam Tadevosian on Feb. 9. In addition, Stryhas is 16-3 in doubles play with partner Harbatsiuk. In combined singles and doubles play, Stryhas is now a ridiculous 35-4 this year.
“Anton gives 100 percent at everything he does both on and off the court, and that’s what makes him such a good player,” Kurtz said. “For someone to win 17 consecutive singles matches at the Div. I level, that is a very impressive streak.”
Other Hornets to extend winning streaks today were Klimenka (eight straight singles victories) and Rueff (nine consecutive singles victories).
The Hornets, who have now played three matches over the last two days, will take a well-deserved 12-day rest before closing out the regular season at home against Portland State on April 12. The match will take place at Rio Del Oro Racquet Club.
Sacramento State 5, Weber State 2
Doubles competition
1. Anton Stryhas/Kiryl Harbatsiuk (SAC) def. Sascha Kiehne/Fabio Mancarella (WSU), 8-3
2. Henning Hipp/Nick Plum (WSU) def.Holden Ching/Ronan Conlon (SAC), 8-4
3. Artur Klimenka/Sven-David Rueff (SAC) def. Spencer Marchant/Ryan Garner (WSU), 9-7
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Sacramento State men’s tennis team knocked off both Weber State (5-2) and Idaho State (7-0) today at Rio Del Oro Racquet Club to assure the squad of at least a share of the Big Sky Conference regular season championship for a third straight season.
