WOMEN’S TENNIS BEATS NORTHERN ARIZONA, WINS NINTH STRAIGHT BIG SKY TITLE

4/25/2010

GOLD RIVER, Calif. – Sacramento State won the doubles point and received straight set singles victories from Clarisse Baca, Maria Meliuk and Rebeca Delgado to defeat Northern Arizona, 4-0, in the Big Sky Conference Tournament women’s tennis championship match Sunday afternoon at the Gold River Racquet Club.

With the victory, Sacramento State wins its ninth consecutive Big Sky Tournament title and extended its winning streak to 72 consecutive matches against conference opposition.

The Hornets will now receive an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, with the event’s first and second rounds taking place May 14-16.

Besides the long winning streak against conference foes that dates back to 2002, the team has won nine straight Big Sky regular season titles, nine straight conference tournament crowns, and the NCAA Tournament appearance next month will be the program’s ninth straight as well.

The Hornets will learn where and who they will play in the first round when the NCAA makes its selections on Tuesday, May 4. Selections will be aired live on ESPN News that day between 2:00 and 3:00 p.m. PDT.

In today’s match, the Hornets gained the doubles point after getting victories from the tandems of Tatsiana Kapshai/Delgado (8-3) and Meliuk/Baca (8-4).

In singles play, Baca extended the Hornets lead to 2-0 after defeating Malia Wahinepio (6-2, 6-2), and Meliuk followed with a 6-3, 6-0 win at No. 3 over Aimee Oki. Delgado clinched the match for Sacramento State at No. 2 with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Orsi Golovics.

The Hornets also led matches at No. 1 and No. 6 singles when the match was halted. In Big Sky Tournament play, matches are stopped after one team records the necessary four points for victory.

The win for Baca was her 12th straight victory in singles play. As a team, the Hornets have won 10 of their last 11 matches heading into the NCAA Tournament.