NO. 34 WOMEN'S TENNIS FALLS IN MARATHON MATCH TO SAINT MARY'S

3/7/2010

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The No. 34 ranked Sacramento State women's tennis team battled No. 55 Saint Mary's for over four hours on Sunday afternoon, but the Gaels ended up the victors by a score of 4-3.

With the loss, the Hornets fall to 8-4 on the season, while Saint Mary's improves to 7-3 with the victory. Sacramento State was playing the match without top player and three-time Big Sky MVP Katrina Zheltova.

Doubles went quickly, as no tiebreaks were needed to settle any of the three matches in the order. Sacramento State took the first doubles match to finish, as sophomore Tatsiana Kapshai and senior Aileen Tsan defeated Alex Poorta and Claire Soper 8-1 in No. 1 action. But the Gaels took the final two matches to take home the doubles point, winning both the No. 2 and No. 3 positions by a score of 8-4.

Singles action was a different story, as three of the six matches needed all three sets to be contested, and two matches featured tiebreaks in more than one set. Saint Mary's was victorious in the first two matches to finish, No. 6 singles and No. 2 singles, to take a 3-0 lead in the match. Tsan kept the Hornets alive with a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory at the No. 5 position, which ran her singles winning streak to seven straight match. But Poorta ended the Hornets day at No. 1 singles, defeating Kapshai by a score of 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5) to clinch the Gael victory.

Sacramento State was the victor in the final two matches of the day to finish, as sophomore Clarisse Baca defeated Claire Soper at No. 4 singles 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, and freshman Rebeca Delgado defeated Anna Chikhikvishvili at No. 3 singles 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2).

The Hornets return to action on Thursday, Mar. 11 as they host the Portland State Vikings in their Big Sky opener. First serve of doubles is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at the Rio Del Oro Racquet Club.

#55 Saint Mary's 4, #34 Sacramento State 3
Mar 07, 2010 at Sacramento, Calif. (Rio Del Oro Racquet Club)

Singles competition
1. POORTA, Alex (SMC) def. KAPSHAI, Tatsiana (SAC) 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5)
2. ISIP, Catherine (SMC) def. MELIUK, Maria (SAC) 6-2, 7-5
3. DELGADO, Rebeca (SAC) def. CHIKHIKVISHVILI, A. (SMC) 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2)
4. BACA, Clarisse (SAC) def. SOPER, Claire (SMC) 6-4, 4-6, 6-1
5. TSAN, Aileen (SAC) def. SPITZER, Alisa (SMC) 1-6, 6-3, 6-2
6. ALOIA, Molly (SMC) def. ZIVANOVIC, Milica (SAC) 6-0, 6-2

Doubles competition
1. KAPSHAI, Tatsiana/TSAN, Aileen (SAC) def. POORTA, Alex/SOPER, Claire (SMC) 8-1
2. CHIKHIKVISHVILI, A./ISIP, Catherine (SMC) def. BACA, Clarisse/DELGADO, Rebeca (SAC) 8-4
3. FISHER, Alita/STRIJBIS, Nienke (SMC) def. NAZAROVA, Zalina/ZIVANOVIC, Milica (SAC) 8-4

Match Notes
Saint Mary's 7-3; National ranking #55
Sacramento State 8-4; National ranking #34
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (6,2,5,1,4,3)