DES MOINES, Iowa – The Sacramento State women's tennis program opened the 2020 season with a thrilling battle on the road at Drake University Thursday afternoon. The contest came down to the final match before the Hornets ultimately fell, 4-3, to the Bulldogs.  

It was just eight degrees in Des Moines on Thursday, but the Hornets (0-1) and Bulldogs (1-0) were locked in a back-and-forth battle in the Roger Knapp Tennis Center at Drake.

"That was just a really fun first match," said head coach Cami Hubbs after the match. "We're obviously bummed about the loss, but I am really happy with how we played and competed." 

The afternoon started with a close doubles point for Drake. The pair or Jenna Dorian and Tsveti Yotova fell at No. 1, 6-4, before Ege Tomey and Grace Dodd dropped the No. 3 doubles match, 7-5. 

The pair or Paige Alter and Jayden Nielsen closed out doubles play with a hard-earned 7-6 win.

Trailing 1-0, the Hornets dropped the first singles match of the afternoon as Yotova fell in the No. 4 singles position, 6-3, 6-0. But sophomore Jayden Nielsen put Sacramento State on the board with a win at No. 2 in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.

Freshman Grace Dodd won the next match for Sacramento State, also in straight sets, 6-0, 6-4, to make it a 2-2 match overall.

After Ege Tomey fell at No. 3, 6-2, 6-4, it was another freshman pulling the team even as Paige Alter won the afternoon's only three-set match, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1. 

With the match even, 3-3, it all came down to the final match, a contest between Sacramento State's No. 1 Jenna Dorian and Drake's No. 1 Liza Petushkova.

Petushkova just did managed to take the first set, defeating Dorian, 7-6. With the rest of the players from both teams watching, Petushkova came out on top again, edging out Dorian, 7-5, to clinch the match and the win.

Although the Hornets took the loss, Thursday's season opener was a great first showing of competition.

Two different freshmen (Alter and Dodd) and a sophomore (returner Jayden Nielsen) all picked up a win in singles while nearly every match the Hornets lost was well-played and close.

Sacramento State will continue its trip through the Midwest this weekend, traveling next to Nebraska for a Saturday morning match. The match will begin at 9 a.m. PT and features live streaming and live stats. Links and more can be found on the 2020 Women's Tennis schedule at HornetSports.com.