WOMEN’S TENNIS IMPROVES TO 8-3 WITH VICTORY OVER NEW MEXICO STATE

3/9/2007

ALBUQUERQUE -- Senior Cecilia Helland, sophomores Anastassia Lyssenko, Luba Schifris and Joyce Martinez Gutierrez, and freshman Katrina Zheltova each won their singles matches in straight sets to lead Sacramento State to a 6-1 victory over New Mexico State in a non-conference women’s tennis match at the Lobo Tennis Club.

With the victory, Sacramento State won for the fifth time in the last six matches while improving to 8-3 overall. The Hornets, who are currently ranked 48th in the nation, are now five games above the .500 mark despite playing nine of their first 11 matches of the season away from home.

With the loss, New Mexico State dropped to 6-8.

Sacramento State began the match by winning the doubles point as the tandems of Schifris/Zheltova (No. 1) and Lyssenko/Aileen Tsan (No. 3) each won their matches by the score of 8-1.

In singles play, Zheltova (No. 1; 6-0, 6-1), Lyssenko (No. 2; 6-3:, 6-3), Schifris (No. 4; 6-1, 6-1), Martinez Gutierrez (No. 5; 6-1, 6-2) and Helland (No. 6; 6-0, 6-0) each won their matches with relative ease. In fact, the Hornets were already leading the match, 6-0, before Tsan lost her match at No. 3, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (4).

Helland improved to 10-1 in singles play while Zheltova improved to 9-2, and Schifris moved her record to 8-2. Tsan and Lyssenko improved to 10-1 in doubles play.

Sacramento State returns to action tomorrow (Saturday, March 10) where the team will face 51st-ranked New Mexico at 10 a.m. PST.

Sacramento State 6, New Mexico State 1

Doubles
1. Zheltova/Schifris (SAC) def. Costa/Fagegaltier (NMS), 8-1
2. Fintell/Juricek (NMS) def. Karina Jarlkaganova/Martinez Gutierrez (SAC), 9-7
3. Lyssenko/Tsan (SAC) def. Zuniga/Guillaumond (NMS), 8-1

Singles
1. Katrina Zheltova (SAC) def. Zeljka Juricek (NMS), 6-0, 6-1    
2. Anastassia Lyssenko (SAC) def. Nicole Fintell (NMS), 6-3, 6-3
3. Anne Fagegaltier (NMS) def. Aileen Tsan (SAC), 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (4)
4. Luba Schifris (SAC) def. Paulina Zuniga (NMS), 6-1, 6-1
5. Joyce Martinez Gutierrez (SAC) def. Estelle Guillaumond (NMS), 6-1, 6-2
6. Cecilia Helland (SAC) def. Aleksa Costa (NMS), 6-0, 6-0

Order of Finish:
Doubles: 1,3,2
Singes: 6,4,1,5,2,3