The Hornets have won each of the last four Big Sky Tournament championships and have now won 33-consecutive matches against conference competition dating back to the 2002 season. Sacramento State advances to the championship match tomorrow (Saturday, April 29 at 9 a.m. PST) where it will face Northern Arizona, which defeated Weber State in the other semifinal. The winner of the Big Sky championship receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, a place the Hornets have been each of the last four years.

Sacramento State began the day by cruising through the doubles competition and gaining the first point of the match after teammates Luba Schifris/Joyce Martinez Gutierrez (No. 2) and Cecilia Helland/Karina Jarlkaganova (No. 3) won by the scores of 8-3 and 8-1, respectively.

In the singles competition, Sacramento State’s Jarlkaganova (6-0, 6-0 at No. 4), Helland (6-3, 6-1 at No. 5) and Anastassia Lyssenko (6-1, 6-0 at No. 6) each won in straight sets. The match was stopped after Helland won at No. 5 because the Hornets already had the necessary four points to win the contest.

Sacramento State has now won by the score of 4-0 in each of its last five Big Sky Tournament matches dating back to 2004.

Sacramento State 4, Montana 0

DOUBLES

#1 Karnaukhova/Lyssenko (SAC) vs. Castello/Walker (UM), 6-2 DNF

#2 Schifris/Gutierrez (SAC) def. Schwartz/Nowak (UM), 8-3

#3 Helland/Jarlkaganova (SAC) def. Ursich/Rosen (UM), 8-1

SINGLES

#1 Margarita Karnaukhova (SAC) vs. Liz Walker (UM), 4-6, 3-1 DNF

#2 Luba Schifris (SAC) vs. Mari Castello (UM), 6-2, 3-2 DNF

#3 Joyce Gutierrez (SAC) vs. Cheyne Ursich (UM), 6-4, 1-3 DNF

#4 Karina Jarlkaganova (SAC) def. Martyna Nowak (UM), 6-0, 6-0

#5 Cecilia Helland (SAC) def. Jonna Schwartz (UM), 6-3, 6-1

#6 Anastassia Lyssenko (SAC) def. Malena Rosen (UM), 6-1, 6-0