The Cougars took a 1-0 lead with a pair of doubles victories to earn the point. Anastasia Sourkova and Jenny Micoli defeated Margarita Karnaukhova and Anna Karavayeva, 8-5 at No. 1 and Olga Boulytcheva and Sofia Holden downed Cecilia Helland and Roberta Fessenko, 8-1, at No. 3. The second match was not completed.

In singles play, the Hornets scored their lone point at No. 1 where Karnaukhova, who is ranked 22nd in Div. I, defeated Lauren Jones, 7-6, 7-5. Karnaukhova improved to 24-2 in singles play this season and has now won nine-straight matches and 18 of her last 19. The junior will likely earn a second-straight invitation to the NCAA Women’s Singles Tournament later this month in Athens, Ga.

Aside from the loss at No. 1, BYU had little trouble in the remainder of the lineup. Sourkova defeated Fessenko, 6-3, 6-2, at No. 3. Dolly Chang downed Helland, 6-2, 6-4, at No. 5 and Rebecca Pike defeated Karavayeva, 6-3, 6-2, at No. 6.

The remaining two matches were still being contested when BYU clinched the match. At No. 2, Anna Erikson led Boulytcheva, 3-0, in the third set. Holden was leading Klara Petersson at No. 4.

“We are a young team and we’ll bounce back,” Sacramento State head coach Bill Campbell said. “We had a lot of quality wins by our young players this year, and we’ll have a very strong squad next season.”

Four of the Hornets’ top six singles players this year were underclassmen, and three-time Big Sky Conference MVP Karnaukhova will return for her senior season next year. Winners of four-straight Big Sky championships, the Hornets’ 23 victories tied a program record and the team finished the year by winning 20 of its final 22 matches.

Sacramento State has a combined 82-21 record over the last four years and the team had four players named first team all-Big Sky this season (Karnaukhova, Erikson, Fessenko and Helland), one second team selection (Petersson) and one honorable mention selection (Karavayeva).

NCAA Women’s Tennis First Round Results

#21 Brigham Young 4, #36 Sacramento State 1

Singles Results

1. #22 Margarita Karnaukhova (SAC) def. Lauren Jones (BYU), 7-6, 7-5

2. Olga Boulytcheva (BYU) vs. Anna Erikson (SAC), DNF

3. Anastasia Sourkova (BYU) def. Roberta Fessenko (SAC), 6-3, 6-2

4. Sofia Holden (BYU) vs. Klara Petersson (SAC), DNF

5. Dolly Chang (BYU) vs. Cecilia Helland (SAC), 6-2, 6-4

6. Rebecca Pike (BYU) def. Anna Karavayeva (SAC), 6-3, 6-2

Doubles Results

1. Sourkova/Jenny Micoli (BYU) def. Karnaukhova/Karavayeva (SAC), 8-5

2. Chang/Jones (BYU) vs. Erikson/Petersson (SAC), DNF

3. Boulytcheva/Holden (BYU) def. Helland/Fessenko (SAC), 8-1