WOMEN’S TENNIS DROPS 4-3 HEARTBREAKER AT 19TH-RANKED PEPPERDINE
3/24/2007
MALIBU, Calif. -- With the match tied 3-3, Pepperdine’s Anete Bandere defeated Sacramento State’s Luba Schifris in three sets (6-7, 6-3, 6-3) to give the Waves a 4-3 victory over the Hornets in a women’s tennis match Saturday afternoon at the Ralph-Straus Tennis Center.
With the victory, Pepperdine, who is ranked 19th in the nation, improved to 12-7 overall and 8-3 at home. Sacramento State dropped to 10-5 with the loss, and all five losses have now come on the road against ranked opposition. Even with the loss, the Hornets have won seven of their last 10 matches.
Pepperdine began the contest by easily winning the doubles point, as all three matches were won by scores of no worse than 8-4.
Sacramento State tied the match at 1-1 after freshman Katrina Zheltova defeated 53rd-ranked Sylvia Kosakowski, 6-1 in the first set before Kosakowski was forced to retire because of injury. The Hornets took a 2-1 lead in the match after Joyce Martinez Gutierrez defeated Tania Rice 6-1, 6-1 at No. 5 singles.
Pepperdine’s Eva Dickes evened the match at 2-2 with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Aileen Tsan on court three. Katia Sabate put Pepperdine in front after defeating Anastassia Lyssenko, 6-3, 7-5 on court two.
Cecilia Helland picked up Sacramento State’s third point of the match after Jillian Braverman retired due to cramping with the match even at one set apiece to set up Bandere’s match-clinching victory over Schifris at No. 4.
Sacramento State returns to action tomorrow when the team faces Loyola Marymount at 9:30 a.m.
MALIBU, Calif. -- With the match tied 3-3, Pepperdine’s Anete Bandere defeated Sacramento State’s 
