HRYNASHKA NAMED BIG SKY WOMEN'S TENNIS COACH OF THE YEAR 5/5/2008 OGDEN, Utah - Sacramento State head women’s tennis coach Dima Hrynashka has been named the Big Sky Conference Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year in a vote by the league’s coaches. Hrynashka, in his third season with the Hornets and second as head coach, led a Sacramento State squad without a senior on its roster to a 21-6 record and the squad’s seventh straight Big Sky Conference Championship. He earned his first ever coach of the year honor after leading the squad to a perfect 10-0 mark against Big Sky opponents, including a pair of 4-0 match victories in the Big Sky Tournament. On six occasions during the spring season, a Hornet was named Big Sky Player of the Week, and under Hrynashka’s watch, the team saw its national ranking rise to as high as No. 32 in the country. The native of Belarus also coached sophomore Katrina Zheltova to her second consecutive Big Sky MVP award, while producing five other all-conference honorees. Hrynashka began his coaching career in 1998, where he tutored youth players for three years at the Olympic Center of Belarus. In 2003, he moved on to coaching the 14-under girls and boys national team of Belarus. His time with the national youth teams was highlighted by his girls 14-under team winning the 2003 world championship. As a player, Hrynashka was coached by current Sacramento State head men’s tennis coach Slava Konikov. At 14 years old, Hrynashka was competing for the Belarus national team, and at age 16, was ranked eighth in Russia’s junior class. He was a four-time Belarus youth doubles champion and won the junior national singles championship when he was 16 years old. At the age of 18, Hrynashka turned pro, but his career ended prematurely with a back injury that forced him to retire. Hrynashka and the No. 53 ranked Hornets hit the court on Friday, May 9, as they open up NCAA Tournament play with a match against No. 17 ranked Arizona State in Fresno, Calif. First serve is scheduled for 10 a.m.