WOMEN'S TENNIS IMPROVES TO 7-0 WITH 5-2 WIN OVER RICE

2/21/2009

SEATTLE — The Sacramento State women’s tennis team added it second victory in as many days as the team defeated Rice, 5-2, Saturday afternoon at the Nordstrom Tennis Center on the University of Washington campus. The Hornets improved to 7-0 on the season while the Owls fell to 8-3.

Sacramento State was forced to play without the services of Katrina Zheltova (due to illness) and lost Joyce Martinez Gutierrez early in singles play but showed its depth with the convincing win. The Hornets scored the doubles points with a pair of wins. The tandem of Maria Meliuk and Aileen Tsan won at No. 2, 8-4, and Clarisse Baca and Joyce Martinez Gutierrez were victorious at No. 3, 8-5. Both pairs also won on Friday in the upset of #34 Washington. At No. 1, Luba Schifris replaced Zheltova and played with Melissa Valenzuela but came up short in an 8-5 loss to Julie Chao and Ana Guzman.

In singles play, Sacramento State won four of the five matches that were played to completion. Meliuk downed Guzman, 6-1, 6-0, at No. 2 to improve to 7-0 on the year. Schifirs also stayed unbeaten (7-0) with a 7-6 (4), 6-3 win over Jessica Jackson at No. 3. Valenzuela raised her record to 4-0 with a 6-4, 6-3, win over Varsha Shiva-Shankar at No. 5 and gave the Hornets the four necessary points to win the match. The team’s other point came at No. 4 where Baca defeated Rebecca Lin, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5, at No. 5.

Rice earned its two points with a 6-4, 6-3, win at No. 1 from Chao. The Hornets moved Tsan up to the top spot in the ladder for the first time this season to fill in for Zheltova. Alex Rasch was also credited with a victory over Martinez Gutierrez at No. 6 after Martinez Gutierrez was forced to retire early in the second set.

Sacramento State will remain on the road to take on UC Irvine on Feb. 27. The Hornets are currently in the midst of a six-match road stretch in their schedule. The team’s next home match will come on March 8 against Montana State at Rio Del Oro.

#40 Sacramento State 5, Rice 2

Singles
1. Julie Chao (Rice) def. Aileen Tsan, 6-4, 6-3
2. Maria Meliuk (SAC) def. Ana Guzman, 6-1, 6-0
3. Luba Schifris (SAC) def. Jessica Jackson, 7-6 (4), 6-3
4. Clarisse Baca (SAC) def. Rebecca Lin, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5
5. Melissa Valenzuela (SAC) def. Varsha Shiva-Shankar, 6-4, 6-3
6. Alex Rasch (Rice) def. Joyce Martinez Gutierrez, 6-4, 1-0 (ret.)

Doubles
1. Chao/Guzman (Rice) def. Schifris/Valenzuela, 8-5
2. Meliuk/Tsan (SAC) def. Jackson/Shiva-Shankar, 8-4
3. Baca/Martinez Gutierrez (SAC) def. Lin/Rasch, 8-5

Singles order of finish: N/A
Doubles order of finish: 1, 2, 3