OGDEN, Utah. —The Sacramento State women’s tennis team opened up Big Sky Conference play, by easily defeating Idaho State, 4-0, Friday afternoon in Ogden, Ut. The semifinal victory puts the No. 1-seed Hornets into the final against the No. 2-seed Northern Arizona which defeated Montana Friday afternoon. The tournament format gives the victory to the team that earns the first four points of the match. The Hornets won the doubles point by taking the first two of three matches from the Bengals. Margarita Karnaukhova and Marta Gronowicz defeated Lisa Bessman and Hayli Scott (8-3), while Roberta Fessenko and Cecilia Helland put down Denise Cockrell and Katie Zigars (8-2).
Having earned the doubles point, Sacramento State only needed to win three singles matches to seal the victory. No. 45 Karnaukhova in the number one spot, defeated Armine Sarkavagyan (6-0, 6-2), Gronowicz playing in the fourth position defeated Scott (6-0, 6-1) and in the sixth position Helland beat Zigars (6-0, 6-0).
The victory puts the Hornets winning streak to seventeen in a row and pushes their overall victories to 22-3 on the year.
The Hornets will face Northern Arizona for the conference championship Saturday, 9 am at the Weber State tennis facilities.
Sacramento State 4 Idaho State 0
Singles
1 No. 45 Margarita Karnaukhova (Sac) def Armine Sarkavagyan (ISU) 6-0, 6-2
2 No. 40 Anna Erikson (Sac) vs. Melanie Kranz (ISU) DNF
3 No. 120 Roberta Fessenko (Sac) vs. Lisa Bessman (ISU) DNF
4 Marta Gronowicz (Sac) vs. Hayli Scott (ISU) 6-0, 6-1
5 Ann Rosund (Sac) vs. Denise Cockrell (ISU) DNF
6 Cecilia Helland (Sac) def Katie Zigars (ISU) 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
1 Karnaukhova/Gronowicz (Sac) def Bessman/Scott (ISU) 8-2
2 Erikson/Roslund (Sac) vs. Kranz/Sarkavagyan (ISU) DNF
3 Helland/Fessenko (Sac) def Cockrell/Zigars (ISU) 8-2
