WOMEN'S TENNIS REMAINS UNDEFEATED AT HOME WITH VICTORY OVER HARVARD

3/31/2007

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Senior Cecilia Helland, sophomores Anastassia Lyssenko, Luba Schifris and Joyce Martinez Gutierrez, and freshman Aileen Tsan each posted singles victories to lead the Sacramento State women’s tennis team to a 5-2 victory over Harvard Saturday afternoon at the Rio Del Oro Racquet Club.

The win improved the Hornets to 12-5 overall and 5-0 at home. Sacramento State has won four of its last five matches, and all five of the team’s losses this season have come against ranked teams. Harvard, which had been ranked as high as 44th this season, fell to 2-11 with the loss.

The Hornets, who are currently ranked 51st in the nation, return to action tomorrow (Sunday, April 1) when the team plays at 15th-ranked Fresno State at noon.

Harvard opened the match by winning two of the three doubles matches to gain the point. However, Sacramento State bounced back as the team’s Nos. 2-6 players each won their singles matches to clinch the Hornets’ 12th victory of the season.

Schifris (No. 4; 6-2, 6-1), Martinez Gutierrez (No. 5; 6-1, 6-0) and Helland (No. 6; 6-0, 6-0) each won easily in straight sets while both Lyssenko (No. 2; 2-6, 6-4, 6-2) and Tsan (No. 3; 3-6, 6-3, 6-4) took three sets to post their victories. Freshman Katrina Zheltova lost her match at No. 1 to 66th-ranked Beier Ko, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.

Sacramento State and Fresno State will resume a rivalry tomorrow that has seen the two teams play five times over the last three years. The Bulldogs are 3-2 during that span, including NCAA Tournament first round victories over the Hornets in 2004 and 2006.

Sacramento State 5, Harvard 2

Doubles
1. Ko/Litvak (HAR) def. Zheltova/Lyssenko (SAC), 9-7
2. Mukundan/Elizabeth Brook (HAR) def. Tsan/Karina Jarlkaganova (SAC), 8-3
3. Schifris/Martinez Gutierrez (SAC) def. Forgie/Curto (HAR), 8-5

Singles
1. Beier Ko (HAR) def. Katrina Zheltova (SAC), 4-6, 6-2, 7-5
2. Anastassia Lyssenko (SAC) def. Lena Litvak (HAR), 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
3. Aileen Tsan (SAC) def. Preethi Mukundan (HAR), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
4. Luba Schifris (SAC) def. Julia Forgie (HAR), 6-2, 6-1
5. Joyce Martinez Gutierrez (SAC) def. Vilsa Curto (HAR), 6-1, 6-0
6. Cecilia Helland (SAC) def. Rachel Gottlieb (HAR), 6-0, 6-0