MEN’S TENNIS IMPROVES TO 8-1 IN THE BIG SKY WITH 5-2 WIN OVER PORTLAND STATE

VANCOUVER, Wash. — Sacramento State's Sean Kolar, Niranjan Ram, Tom Miller and Henrik Raag all posted straight-set singles wins to help the Hornets to a 5-2 victory over Portland State in a Big Sky Conference men's tennis match Friday morning at Club Green Meadows.

The Hornets (13-11, 8-1) have now been victorious in nine of their last 11 matches, and have won four straight matches against Big Sky opposition. Sacramento State, which plays its final Big Sky match of the regular season tomorrow at Eastern Washington, is currently in a virtual tie with Idaho State (6-0) for first place in the league standings.

Six teams teams from the 11-member Big Sky will qualify for the conference tournament (April 26-28 in Gold River), and the top two seeds will receive a first-round bye. The Hornets, who have already clinched a spot in the postseason event, will attempt to win their fifth straight Big Sky Tournament championship later this month.

With today's loss, Portland State dropped to 6-10 overall and 1-5 in the Big Sky.

Kolar (6-1, 6-1 at No. 3), Ram (6-4, 6-4 at No. 4), Miller (7-5, 6-1 at No. 5) and Raag (6-4, 6-4 at No. 6) each won their singles matches. Roy Brandys lost his match at No. 1 in three sets (6-3, 2-6, 6-3), while Aliaksandr Malko was forced to retire in the second set of his match at No. 2 with a groin injury. Kolar has now won five straight, and 11 of his last 12 singles matches.

The Hornets won two of the three doubles matches to earn the point as the tandems of Malko/Miller (8-6 at No. 1) and Brandys/Kolar (8-3 at No. 2) were both victorious.

Sacramento State is in the midst of a stretch that will see the team play four times on the road in four days, which includes matches tomorrow at Eastern Washington, and Sunday at Idaho.

Sacramento State vs Portland State
Apr 05, 2013 at Vancouver, Wash.
(Club Green Meadows)

Sacramento State 5, Portland State 2

Singles competition
1. Antoine Bechmann (PSU) def. BRANDYS, Roy (SAC) 6-3, 2-6, 6-3
2. Connor Gilmore (PSU) def. MALKO, Aliaksandr (SAC) 6-3, 2-2, retired
3. KOLAR, Sean (SAC) def. Brent Wheeler (PSU) 6-1, 6-1
4. RAM, Niranjan (SAC) def. Lukas Kortus (PSU) 6-4, 6-4
5. MILLER, Tom (SAC) def. Abhinav Mishra (PSU) 7-5, 6-1
6. RAAG, Henrik (SAC) def. Alex Marx (PSU) 6-4, 6-4

Doubles competition
1. MALKO, Aliaksandr/MILLER, Tom (SAC) def. Connor Gilmore/Brent Wheeler (PSU) 8-6
2. BRANDYS, Roy/KOLAR, Sean (SAC) def. Antoine Bechmann/Ian Risenhoover (PSU) 8-3
3. Abhinav Mishra/Alex Marx (PSU) def. RAAG, Henrik/RAM, Niranjan (SAC) 8-7 (10-8)

Match Notes:
Sacramento State 13-11, 8-1
Portland State 6-10, 1-5
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (2,5,3,4,1,6)