ZHELTOVA FALLS TO NATION'S TOP-RANKED PLAYER IN ITA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

11/7/2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Sacramento State junior Katrina Zheltova had her run at the ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships come to an end Friday with a 7-5, 6-2, second-round loss to top-seeded Aurelija Miseviciute of Arkansas.

Zheltova, who earned All-America status last season after advancing to the third round of the NCAA Championships, entered the tournament ranked 21st nationally in the preseason poll. The Minsk, Belarus, native was just the second Sacramento State player to compete in the exclusive tournament and matched the success of Margarita Karnaukhova who also advanced to the round of 16 in 2004.

Miseviciute, who is the top-ranked player in Div. I by the ITA, earned her 101st career victory in just over two years. The junior will face Cal's Claire Ilcinkas in the quarterfinals on Friday evening.

The ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships is the final event for the fall season. Sacramento State opens the spring portion of its schedule on Jan. 18 when it takes on Pepperdine in Malibu. The team's first home match of the year will be on Feb. 14 against Nevada at Rio Del Oro.

Sacramento State has won the last seven Big Sky Conference titles and has advanced to the NCAA Championships each of those years.