OGDEN, Utah — Five members of the Sacramento State women’s tennis team and two athletes on the men’s tennis team were named all-Big Sky Conference, it was announced today. The list is comprised of four first team selections and a honorable mention choice from the women’s team and one first and second team selection from the men’s squad.Margarita Karnaukhova was named the Big Sky Conference Most Valuable Player for the second-consecutive season. The sophomore becomes the fourth player in the league history to earn the award two years in a row. Karnaukhova, ended the regular season with an overall record of 20-3, all at the No. 1 singles position in the lineup. She is currently ranked 42nd in Div. I in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll.
Freshman Anna Erikson, junior Roberta Fessenko and senior Marta Gronowicz were also named to the first team. The four first team selections were the most by any Big Sky school since Weber State also placed four on the squad in 1989.
Erikson was 19-1 overall, including 16-1 at No. 2. The Stockholm, Sweden, native is currently ranked 43rd nationally, one spot behind Karnaukhova.
Fessenko and Gronowicz were each named to the first team for the second time during their careers. Fessenko was 20-3 overall. The Rostov on Don, Russia, native played matches at No. 1 (1-0), No. 2 (4-1), No. 3 (10-2) and No. 4 (5-0) during the season. Gronowicz returned to the lineup after redshirting last season. The native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, was 15-9 overall while playing primarily at No. 4 in the lineup.
Cecilia Helland earned honorable mention accolades following her first season with the Hornets. The freshman from Stockholm, Sweden, posted a 19-3 overall record while playing at four different spots in the ladder.
The men’s team was headlined by junior Matt Jones, who earned first team honors for the first time in his career. Peter Farkas was named to the second team.
Jones ended the year with a 15-7 overall record. The Woodland Hills, Calif., native went 4-4 at No. 1, 2-1 at No. 2 and 8-2 at No. 3. Farkas, a junior from Victoria, British Columbia, was 14-8 in singles play while primarily playing at No. 5 (10-4) in the ladder.
The women are currently 23-3 overall heading into next week’s NCAA Championship. The team won the Big Sky Conference Tournament for the third-straight season. The Hornets will face Fresno State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, May 15, in Berkeley, Calif.
The Hornet men lost in the semifinals of the Big Sky Tournament, snapping a streak of three-straight NCAA Championship appearances. Sacramento State finished the year with a 12-10 overall record.
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