WOMEN'S TENNIS CLAIMS EIGHTH STRAIGHT BIG SKY TITLE
4/26/2009
GOLD RIVER, Calif. — For the eighth time in as many years, the Sacramento State women’s tennis team won the Big Sky Conference title. The Hornets defeated Northern Arizona, 4-0, on Sunday at the Gold River Racquet Club to extend their winning streak to 62 consecutive matches against conference opponents.
Sacramento State was pushed in all three doubles matches before eventually prevailing. The No. 1 duo of Katrina Zheltova and Melissa Valenzuela broke a 4-4 tie and pulled away for an 8-4 victory over Orsi Golovics and Edit Suhajda. The pair was followed by a victory at No. 2 from Joyce Martinez Gutierrez and Clarisse Baca over Leslie Vial and Kim Van Ginkel, 8-5. The No. 3 match was led by NAU’s Yumi Hasegawa and Stacey Pinchbeck, 6-4, when play was stopped.
In singles competition, the Hornets posted two quick wins at the bottom of the ladder to take a 3-0 lead. Aileen Tsan defeated Hasegawa, 6-0, 6-1, at No. 6 and Martinez downed Pinchbeck, 6-2, 6-0, at No. 5. The winning point came from Zheltova at No. 1 when she bettered Suhajda, 6-0, 6-4.
The three unfinished singles matches were all close. At No. 2, Valenzuela dropped the first set to Golovics (6-4) but led 3-0 in the second. The Nos. 3 and 4 matches were nearly identical as both Luba Schifris (No. 3) and Baca (No. 4) rallied to win the first set 7-5. The pair also trailed in the second set 1-0.
Sacramento State will next play in the NCAA Tournament beginning on May 8. The site and opponent will be determined later this week.
SACRAMENTO STATE 4, NORTHERN ARIZONA 0
Big Sky Championship
Gold River Racquet Club
GOLD RIVER, Calif. — For the eighth time in as many years, the Sacramento State women’s tennis team won the Big Sky Conference title. The Hornets defeated Northern Arizona, 4-0, on Sunday at the Gold River Racquet Club to extend their winning streak to 62 consecutive matches against conference opponents.
