WOMEN’S TENNIS PULLS OFF ROAD DOUBLEHEADER ROAD SWEEP OF WEBER STATE AND IDAHO STATE
4/14/2007
POCATELLO, Idaho -- The Sacramento State women’s tennis team pulled off a road doubleheader sweep, defeating Weber State (7-0) in Ogden, Utah, before hopping in a van and driving two hours to Pocatello, Idaho, where the team easily handled Idaho State (7-0) this afternoon in Big Sky Conference tennis action.
With the victories, Sacramento State improved its record to 15-6 overall and 7-0 in the Big Sky. In addition, the Hornets locked up the No. 1 seed for the Big Sky Tournament, which will be played at Gold River Racquet Club on April 27-29. The winner of the Big Sky Tournament receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, a place the Hornets have been each of the last five years.
Remarkably, the Hornets improved their winning streak against Big Sky competition to 40 straight victories, a streak which dates back to 2002. The Hornets swept all seven of their Big Sky opponents this year by 7-0 scores. Today’s doubleheader sweep marked the final regular-season matches the team will play this season. Sacramento State will play again in the Big Sky Tournament semifinals on Saturday, April 28, against an opponent yet to be determined at 10 a.m.
Sacramento State, which is currently ranked 54th in the nation, has now won three matches in a row and five of the last six. The Hornets have yet to suffer a losing streak this season, and all six of the team’s losses have come against opponents that are currently ranked by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
The Hornets dominated both Idaho State and Weber State, losing no more than two games in any of the six doubles matches, and winning every set of both singles competitions by scores of at least 6-3. In fact, sophomores Anastassia Lyssenko (No. 2) and Karina Jarlkaganova (No. 6) won both their singles matches by scores of 6-0, 6-0.
Freshman Katrina Zheltova won her matches at No. 1 singles by the scores of 6-0, 6-0 against Weber State and 6-1, 6-0 against Idaho State. Sophomores Luba Schifris (6-2, 6-0 vs. WSU; 6-3, 6-0 vs. ISU) and Joyce Martinez Gutierrez (6-2, 6-0 vs. WSU; 6-1, 6-1 vs. ISU), and senior Cecilia Helland (6-0, 6-1 vs. WSU; 6-0, 6-0 vs. ISU) also won in easy fashion.
Helland improved her singles record to a team-best 20-1 as the team’s lone senior has now won each of her last 20 singles matches after opening the year with a loss against Cal.
POCATELLO, Idaho -- The Sacramento State women’s tennis team pulled off a road doubleheader sweep, defeating Weber State (7-0) in Ogden, Utah, before hopping in a van and driving two hours to Pocatello, Idaho, where the team easily handled Idaho State (7-0) this afternoon in Big Sky Conference tennis action.
