MORAGA, Calif. — Senior Mayya Gorbunova reached the main draw quarterfinals of her singles flight, while junior Grace McSkimming made an appearance in the championship match of her singles flight, highlighting the Sacramento State women's tennis team's efforts at the Saint Mary's Fall Invitational over the weekend in Moraga, Calif.
Gorbunova, who was the tournament's No. 3 seed, earned a first round bye and cruised past San Jose State's Rozalina Youseva in the round of 16 in straight sets, 7-5, 6-2. That set up a quarterfinal meeting with sixth-seeded Makenna Thiel of California, who prevailed in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3. Entering that head-to-head battle, Thiel had lost only two games in her previous two matches.
The Hornet senior also made a run through the consolation bracket in doubles alongside teammate Best Lee, falling to a team from Santa Clara in the main draw before posting wins over pairings from San Jose State and Saint Mary's in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. Gorbunova and Thiel then clashed again in the finals with the Golden Bears' duo fighting off the Hornet tandem for a 7-5 win.
Meanwhile, McSkimming was making her own run through her flight, dispatching Santa Clara's Anna Semler, 6-3, 6-1, and outlasting Saint Mary's Jamie Pope in three sets, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5. The Corona, Calif., native then fell to UC Davis' Daisy Maunupau, 6-3, 7-6 (4).
Elsewhere in singles, Lee opened her draw with a win over Stanislaus State's Abbigail Mulick, 6-2, 6-2, while McSkimming and Weronika Ejsmont posted a pair of wins in doubles against a pair of teams from Stanislaus State.
Gorbunova closed out the fall with an 8-3 mark in singles to lead all Hornets, followed closely by McSkimming, who finished the fall with a 7-3 record and Irene Riva, who was 6-1 over a pair of tournaments. In doubles, the duo of Riva and Maddy Ferreros led the way with a 3-2 record.
The Saint Mary's tournament closed out the fall portion of the schedule for Sacramento State, which now breaks until the start of its spring championship season in January. The Hornets will open the spring on the road with a pair of matches in Hawai'i, facing the Rainbow Wahine on Jan. 18 before battling Hawai'i Pacific a day later on Jan. 19. Sacramento State will make its spring home debut on Feb. 2 against San Francisco, which opens a run of five straight on its home courts.
SAINT MARY'S FALL INVITATIONAL
Oct. 27-29, 2023 • Moraga, Calif.
Singles - Blue Draw
R32 - (3) Mayya Gorbunova (SAC), First Round Bye
R16 - (3) Mayya Gorbunova (SAC) def. Rozalina Youseva (SJSU), 7-5, 6-2
QF - (6) Makenna Thiel (CAL) def. (3) Mayya Gorbunova (SAC), 6-2, 6-3
Singles - Red Draw
R32 - Best Lee (SAC) def. Abbigail Mulick (SSU). 6-2, 6-2
R16 - Juliette Daries (SMC) def. Best Lee (SAC), 6-4, 6-1
R32 - Olive Maunupau (UCD) def. Weronika Ejsmont (SAC), 6-3, 1-6, 6-2
Singles - White Draw
QF - (2) Grace McSkimming (SAC) def. Anna Semler (SCU), 6-3, 6-1
SF - (2) Grace McSkimming (SAC) def. Jamie Pope (SMC), 2-6, 6-2, 7-5
F - (1) Daisy Maunupau (UCD) def. Grace McSkimming (SAC), 6-3, 7-6 (4)
Singles - Additional Matches
Mayya Gorbunova (SAC) def. MiaAngelina Ruja (SMC), 6-1, 7-6 (4)
Doubles - Blue Draw
R16 - (2) Jenna Gordon / Velizara Fileva (SCU) def. Mayya Gorbunova / Best Lee (SAC), 6-4
Doubles - Red Draw
R16 - Weronika Ejsmont / Grace McSkimming (SAC) def. Jaedyn Hendryx / Abbigail Mulick (SSU), 6-0
QF - (1) Carly Schwartzberg / Michelle Zell (UCD) def. Weronika Ejsmont / Grace McSkimming (SAC), 6-0
Doubles - Consolation
CQF - Mayya Gorbunova / Best Lee (SAC) def. Jovana Babic / Rozalina Youseva (SJSU), 6-4
CSF - Mayya Gorbunova / Best Lee (SAC) def. Sofia Daryaie / MiaAngelina Ruja (SMC), 6-4
CF - Makenna Thiel / Berta Passola Folch (CAL) def. Mayya Gorbunova / Best Lee (SAC), 7-5
Doubles - Additional Matches
Weronika Ejsmont / Grace McSkimming (SAC) def. Zuzanna Dziewiecka / Emma Yu (SSU), 6-4
