WOMEN'S TENNIS WINS 10TH STRAIGHT BIG SKY CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT TITLE
4/24/2011
The Hornets won their 82nd straight league dual match and their 10th straight tourney title
when they defeated Northern Arizona in the Big Sky Championship title match.
BOZEMAN, Mont. - Sacramento State won the doubles point and received straight set singles victories from Tatsiana Kapshai, Rebeca Delgado and Clarisse Baca to defeat Northern Arizona, 4-0, in the Big Sky Conference Championship title match on Sunday at the Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center.
The women's tennis team's title is the sixth league championship won by the Hornets this year (men's soccer, women's soccer, men's indoor track, women's indoor track, men's tennis and women's tennis).
With the victory, Sacramento State improved to 19-8 on the season and won its 10th consecutive Big Sky Tournament title. The Hornets also extended their winning streak to an amazing 82 consecutive matches against conference opponents (both regular and postseason duals included).
The Hornets will now receive an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, with the selection show taking place at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, May 3.
The NCAA Tournament begins on May 13. Stanford will host all matches from the round of 16 to the title. A total of 64 teams earn spots in the NCAA Tournament.
Besides the long winning streak against conference foes that dates back to 2002, the team has won 10 straight Big Sky regular season titles, 10 straight conference tournament crowns and the NCAA Tournament appearance next month will be the program’s 10th straight as well.
In Sunday's league championship match, the Hornets gained the doubles point after getting victories from the tandems of Kapshai and Delgado (8-2) and Maria Meliuk and Baca (8-4).
In singles play, Kapshai was the first to win, 6-2, 6-2, at No. 1 singles. Baca claimed the third point of the day, with her 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 4 singles. Delgado secured the title with her 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 2 singles.
The Nos. 3 and 5 singles matches were not finished as the Hornets had already secured the title. No. 6 singles had not started.
The win for Baca was her 12th straight victory in singles play ane 20th singles win on the season. Baca's singles win at last season's Big Sky Championship was her 12th straight win as well. It is the first 20-win season for the Hornets since 2008, when Karina Jarlkaganova went 21-5.
As a team, the Hornets have won their last eight matches heading into the NCAA Tournament.
The Hornets defeated the host Bobcats by a 4-0 score in the semifinals before defeating Northern Arizona in the title match.
Northern Arizona vs Sacramento State
4/24/2011 at Bozeman, Mont.
(Bobcat-Anderson Tennis Center)
Match Notes
Northern Arizona 13-10
Sacramento State 19-8; National ranking #48
Championship Match - 2011 Big Sky Tennis Championships
Order of finish: Doubles 1-2, Singles 1-4-2
T-2:30
