SACRAMENTO -- Freshman Grace McSkimming rebounded from an opening-set loss to defeat Weber State's Megan Lombardi in three sets, lifting host Sacramento State to a thrilling 4-3 Big Sky Conference victory on Saturday afternoon in the Hornets' 2022 home finale.

Sacramento State won for the second time in its last three matches, improving to 3-14 overall and 2-2 in conference play. It marked the fourth time in the last five meetings with the Wildcats that the dual had been decided by a 4-3 score as the Hornets posted their first win in the series since a 4-3 victory in Ogden, Utah, on April 14, 2018.

Meanwhile, Weber State fell to 11-8 overall and suffered its first Big Sky defeat of the year, falling to 5-1 in league play.

Looking to send departing senior Megan Tagaloa out with a victory in front of the hometown faithful, a sweep of doubles got the Hornets off to a strong start on Saturday. The tandem of Weronika Ejsmont and Tagaloa posted a 6-2 win at No. 2, and Sacramento State clinched the doubles point with a win at the No. 1 position as Tsveti Yotova and Paige Alter won by the same score.

Maddy Ferreros and Alexis Johnson then finished off the sweep, posting a 7-6 (4) win at the No. 3 spot.

Johnson staked the Hornets to a 2-0 lead in the match with a win at No. 5 singles, breezing past Sicely Ferreira in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1. However, Weber State answered quickly with straight-set wins at No. 2 and No. 4 singles to knot the match at two apiece.

Ferreros gave Sacramento State a brief, 3-2, advantage with a, 7-6 (3), 6-1, win at No. 3 singles, but the Wildcats fought back to tie the match once again with a win at the top spot in straight sets, leaving the decision up to the contest at No. 6 singles where McSkimming found herself down a set following a 6-4 loss.

However, the freshman answered back in a big way, rallying for identical 6-4 wins in the second and third sets to take the match and clinch the overall contest in the Hornets' favor.

Sacramento State closes out its 2022 spring season on the road with five consecutive matches leading into the Big Sky Championships in Arizona on April 30-May 1, next taking the court with back-to-back matches at Montana (April 9) and Montana State (April 10).

NCAA WOMEN'S TENNIS
Sacramento State 4, Weber State 3
April 2, 2022 // Sacramento, Calif.

DOUBLES
1. YOTOVA, Tsveti/ALTER, Paige (SAC) def. KUO, Patty/MORETT, Ana (WSU) 6-2
2. EJSMONT, Weronika/TAGALOA, Megan (SAC) def. DAVIES, Megan/FERREIRA, Sicely (WSU) 6-2
3. FERREROS, Maddy/JOHNSON, Alexis (SAC) def. LOMBARDI, Megan/UKITA, Yuuna (WSU) 7-6 (4)

Order of finish: 2, 1*, 3

SINGLES
1. DAVIES, Megan (WSU) def. EJSMONT, Weronika (SAC) 6-4, 7-5
2. MORETT, Ana (WSU) def. YOTOVA, Tsveti (SAC) 6-2, 6-2
3. FERREROS, Maddy (SAC) def. KUO, Patty (WSU) 7-6 (3), 6-1
4. UKITA, Yuuna (WSU) def. TAGALOA, Megan (SAC) 6-0, 6-3
5. JOHNSON, Alexis (SAC) def. FERREIRA, Sicely (WSU) 6-1, 6-1
6. MCSKIMMING, Grace (SAC) def. LOMBARDI, Megan (WSU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

Order of finish: 5, 2, 4, 3, 1, 6*