HRYNASHKA NAMED BIG SKY WOMEN’S TENNIS COACH OF THE YEAR FOR SECOND STRAIGHT SEASON

5/5/2009

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Sacramento State head women’s tennis coach Dima Hrynashka has been named Big Sky Conference Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year for the second straight season, in a vote by the league’s coaches.

Hrynashka led the Hornets to a 19-8 record and their eighth straight conference title during the spring of 2009. Sacramento State posted a perfect 8-0 record in the Big Sky in the regular season before defeating both Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona, 4-0, in the conference tournament.

The native of Belarus juggled a lineup that saw many of his top players miss time due to injury at various points of the season. The Hornets reached as high as the No. 34 ranking in the country under his watch, which marks the second straight year the team has been ranked in the top 35 at one junction of the season.

Five Hornets earned all-Big Sky Conference honors this season under Hrynashka’s leadership, with junior Katrina Zheltova earning her third straight conference MVP awards. Freshman Maria Meliuk was a first team selection, with redshirt freshman Clarisse Baca and senior Luba Schifris earning second team honors and senior Joyce Martinez Gutierrez earning honorable mention recognition.

Under Hrynashka, the Hornets have continued four streaks that have made the Sacramento State women’s tennis program the team to beat in the Big Sky. The team has won eight straight Big Sky Conference titles, earning the Hornets eight straight trips to the NCAA Tournament. The Hornets have won 62 consecutive matches over Big Sky Conference competition dating back to 2002, and have had seven straight Big Sky Conference MVP’s.

Sacramento State opens NCAA Tournament play when the team travels to Notre Dame, Ind., to face Michigan on May 8 at 7 a.m. Pacific time.