NO. 54 WOMEN'S TENNIS WINS BIG SKY REGULAR SEASON TITLE WITH 6-1 VICTORY OVER NORTHERN ARIZONA

4/17/2010

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The No. 54 ranked Sacramento State women's tennis team won its 70th straight match over Big Sky competition and the Big Sky regular season title with a 6-1 victory over the previously unbeaten Northern Arizona Lumberjacks on Saturday, April 17.

With the victory, the Hornets improve to 17-6, 8-0 in Big Sky play, while the Lumberjacks fall to 12-6, 7-1 in the Big Sky. The Hornets will be the No. 1 seed in next week's Big Sky Tournament in Gold River, Calif., looking for their ninth straight tournament title.

After winning the doubles point behind an 8-2 victory from freshman Rebeca Delgado and sophomore Tatsiana Kapshai at No. 1 doubles and a 8-5 win from sophomores Clarisse Baca and Maria Meliuk at the No. 2 position, the Hornets took five of the six singles positions.

At the No. 1 position, Kapshai took down Edit Suhajda in straight sets, defeating the top Lumberjack threat 6-0, 6-4. Baca next improved her win streak to 10 matches with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Yumi Hasegawa at the No. 4 position. After Delgado was upset by Aimee Oki at No. 2 singles 6-3, 6-3 to pull NAU to within two points at 3-1, freshman Zalina Nazarova clinched the match for the Hornets with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Nicole Perez at the No. 5 singles position.

The Hornets won the final two matches to finish, with junior Milica Zivanovic defeating Alice Walker 6-3, 7-6 at the No. 6 singles position, and Meliuk posting a three-set victory over Malia Wahinepio at the No. 3 position, 6-0, 4-6, 6-4.

Sacramento State will host the Big Sky Tournament next weekend, April 24-25, at Gold River Racquet Club in Gold River, Calif.

Sacramento State 6, Northern Arizona 1
Apr 17, 2010 at Flagstaff, Ariz. (Flagstaff Athletic Club East)

Singles competition
1. KAPSHAI, Tatsiana (SAC) def. SUHAJDA, Edit (NAU) 6-0, 6-4
2. OKI, Aimee (NAU) def. DELGADO, Rebeca (SAC) 6-3, 6-3
3. MELIUK, Maria (SAC) def. WAHINEPIO, Malia (NAU) 6-0, 4-6, 6-4
4. BACA, Clarisse (SAC) def. HASEGAWA, Yumi (NAU) 6-3, 6-2
5. NAZAROVA, Zalina (SAC) def. PEREZ, Nicole (NAU) 6-4, 6-4
6. ZIVANOVIC, Milica (SAC) def. WALKER, Alice (NAU) 6-3, 7-6

Doubles competition
1. DELGADO, Rebeca/KAPSHAI, Tatsiana (SAC) def. HASEGAWA, Yumi/MENDES, Ana (NAU) 8-2
2. BACA, Clarisse/MELIUK, Maria (SAC) def. SUHAJDA, Edit/WAHINEPIO, Malia (NAU) 8-5
3. OKI, Aimee/PEREZ, Nicole (NAU) def. SARKISIAN, Gayane/TSAN, Aileen (SAC) 8-7

Match Notes
Sacramento State 17-6, 8-0 BSC
Northern Arizona 12-6, 7-1 BSC