NO. 53 WOMEN'S TENNIS PULLS OUTS TWO LATE MATCHES TO BEAT FRESNO STATE 5-2

3/26/2010

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Leading 3-2 and needing one more match to collect a victory, the No. 53 ranked Sacramento State women's tennis team got wins from sophomores Tatsiana Kapshai and Maria Meliuk in the final two matches to defeat Fresno State by a score of 5-2.

With the victory, the Hornets improve to 13-5 on the season, while the Bulldogs, who were ranked as high as No. 28 last season and defeated the Hornets 7-0 just one season ago, fell to 1-13.

Doubles action saw the Hornets win the first two matches to be completed to earn the point. Both the No. 1 tandem of freshman Rebeca Delgado and Kapshai, as well as the No. 2 duo of sophomore Clarisse Baca and Meliuk won their respective matches by a score of 8-3.

In singles play, Sacramento State posted two straight victories once again, this time at No. 4 singles from Baca (6-1, 6-1) and No. 2 singles from Delgado (6-1, 6-4) to take a 3-0 lead in the match. Fresno State, however, came back to win the No. 6 and No. 5 matches consecutively, as Anna Mikhaylova took down freshman Gayane Sarkisian 6-3, 6-4 and Julia Gragera-Cano defeated junior Milica Zivanovic 6-0, 6-2, to close to within a point at 3-2.

But the Hornets would close the match out at No. 1 singles as Kapshai, who is now 5-2 in the position on the season, came back from losing the second set to post a 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 triumph over Renata Kucerkova to secure the match for the Green and Gold. Meliuk then won the final match of the day to finish, knocking off Bianca Modoc by a score of 7-6, 7-5.

Baca extended her singles win streak to seven matches with her victory, and she has now posted a 9-0 record at the No. 4 position or higher. Kapshai won her fourth straight singles encounter, and joined with doubles partner Delgado to gain the tandem's fifth straight victory.

Sacramento State returns to action on Sunday, March 28, hosting a pair of Big Sky foes at Rio Del Oro Racquet Club. The Hornets will take on Idaho State at 9 a.m., and will follow with a match against Weber State at 1 p.m.

#53 Sacramento State 5, Fresno State 2
Mar 26, 2010 at Sacramento, Calif. (Rio Del Oro Racquet Club)

Singles competition
1. KAPSHAI, Tatsiana (SAC) def. Renata Kucerkova (FS) 6-1, 4-6, 6-2
2. DELGADO, Rebeca (SAC) def. Laura Pola (FS) 6-1, 6-4
3. MELIUK, Maria (SAC) def. Bianca Modoc (FS) 7-6, 7-5
4. BACA, Clarisse (SAC) def. Melissa McQueen (FS) 6-1, 6-1
5. Julia Gragera-Cano (FS) def. ZIVANOVIC, Milica (SAC) 6-0, 6-2
6. Anna Mikhaylova (FS) def. SARKISIAN, Gayane (SAC) 6-3, 6-4

Doubles competition
1. DELGADO, Rebeca/KAPSHAI, Tatsiana (SAC) def. Renata Kucerkova/Melissa McQueen (FS) 8-3
2. BACA, Clarisse/MELIUK, Maria (SAC) def. Bianca Modoc/Laura Pola (FS) 8-3
3. Anna Mikhaylova/Anastasia Petukhova (FS) def. ZIVANOVIC, Milica/NAZAROVA, Zalina (SAC) 8-7 (7-5)

Match Notes
Fresno State 1-13
Sacramento State 13-5; National ranking #53
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (4,2,6,5,1,3)