MORE PLAYER OF THE WEEK ACCOLADES FOR THE TENNIS PROGRAM, AS STRYHAS AND SCHIFRIS ARE HONORED

3/6/2007

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- For the fifth time in as many weeks, a member of the Sacramento State tennis program was awarded Big Sky Conference Tennis Player of the Week honors. This week, freshman Anton Stryhas received the men’s honor and sophomore Luba Schifris was the recipient of the women’s honor.

A member of Sacramento State’s women’s team has now received the honor five straight weeks, and a member of the men’s team has received the award twice in the last three weeks. For both Stryhas and Schifris, it marked their first Big Sky Player of the Week awards this season.

Schifris helped lead Sacramento State to a 7-0 victory over Big Sky Conference foe Northern Arizona last Saturday. Schifris, a native of Blieskastel, Germany, won easily in both singles and doubles play. At the No. 4 singles spot of the Hornets’ lineup, Schifris defeated Leslie Vial, 6-1, 6-2. At No. 1 doubles, Schifris teamed with Katrina Zheltova to knock off Vial and Katie Schurr, 8-4.
    
Schifris is now 7-2 in singles play this season, including 3-0 at No. 3 and 4-1 at No. 4. Schifris has won seven of her last eight singles matches, including victories over opponents from Oregon and Washington. In doubles play this year, she is 6-4, including 3-0 at No. 1 with Zheltova. As a team, the Hornets, who are currently ranked 48th in the nation, are 7-3 overall and 3-0 in the Big Sky.

Stryhas helped lead the Sacramento State men to a 1-1 record last week over a two-day stretch in Albuquerque, N.M. The Hornets opened the week on Saturday with a 6-1 victory over New Mexico State, before falling at 66th-ranked New Mexico on Sunday, 4-3.
    
Stryhas posted a perfect 2-0 record in both singles and doubles play, winning both of his singles matches in straight sets. As the Hornets’ No. 2 singles player, he defeated New Mexico State’s Gustave Diep, 6-2, 6-4, and followed that with a 6-4, 6-0 win over New Mexico’s Johnny Parkes, 6-4, 6-0.
    
In doubles play, he paired with teammate Gabriel Loredo at No. 1 to defeat both opponents by scores of 8-5.
    
Stryhas is now 6-1 in singles play this year, including a 5-0 mark at No. 2 and 1-0 at No. 3. In addition, he has compiled a 5-2 record in doubles play. The Hornets are 4-3 overall and 1-0 in the Big Sky heading into this weekend’s home match at Saint Mary’s.