SACRAMENTO -- Junior Mayya Gorbunova's undefeated run at the top of the Sacramento State women's tennis ladder continued on Saturday, while teammate Tsveti Yotova outlasted her opponent for a three-set victory, but the Hornets could not break past visiting Tarleton, falling to the Texans, 5-2, at the Sacramento State Tennis Courts on campus.

The loss was the second straight for Sacramento State, which fell to 4-4 overall on the season and lost at home for the first time in 2023. Tarleton improved to 5-3 overall with the victory.

The Texans jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the match by claiming the doubles point with wins at the top two spots in the lineup. The No. 3 doubles match went unfinished as the Hornets were held to without a win in doubles play for the first time in 2023.

With the scene shifting to singles, Tarleton went up 2-0 with a win at No. 5 before Gorbunova put her team on the board with a straight-set win at No. 1, defeating Martha Makantasi, 6-1, 6-4, to improve to 8-0 overall on the season. It was the sixth straight-set win in eight duals for Gorbunova.

Yotova then followed with a marathon three-set win at No. 3, outdueling Celia Vaudiau for a 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, victory, winning for the third time in the last five duals.

The remaining three singles contests were all back-and-forth affairs, all going the distance to decide the overall match. Tarleton broke the two-all tie with a win at No. 6, as Clara Sobius rebounded from a first-set loss against Grace McSkimming to take the next two by identical 6-3 scores, before Elsa Boisson won her third set against Weronika Ejsmont, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, to clinch the match for the Texans.

Emma Persson took the final point at No. 2, rallying from a set down against Maddy Ferreros for a 1-6, 6-2, 6-4, win to close out the day.

Sacramento State stays local to take on Pacific on Friday (Feb. 24) in Stockton, Calif., in its only match before opening Big Sky Conference play at home against Montana (March 4) and Montana State (March 5).

NCAA WOMEN'S TENNIS
Tarleton 5, Sacramento State 2
Feb. 18, 2023 // Sacramento, Calif. (Sacramento State Tennis Courts)

DOUBLES
1. Martha Makantasi / Elsa Boisson (TAR) def. Mayya Gorbunova / Tsveti Yotova (SAC), 6-4
2. Ximena Morales / Clara Sobius (TAR) def. Weronika Ejsmont / Best Lee (SAC), 6-4
3. Maddy Ferreros / Alexis Johnson vs. Celia Vaudiau / Emma Persson (TAR), unfinished

Order of finish: 2, 1*

SINGLES
1. Mayya Gorbunova (SAC) def. Martha Makantasi (TAR), 6-1, 6-4
2. Emma Persson (TAR) def. Maddy Ferreros (SAC), 1-6, 6-2, 6-4
3. Tsveti Yotova (SAC) def. Celia Vaudiau (TAR), 6-1, 4-6, 6-1
4. Elsa Boisson (TAR) def. Weronika Ejsmont (SAC), 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
5. Ximena Morales (TAR) def. Julia Moraes (SAC), 6-4, 6-0
6. Clara Sobius (TAR) def. Grace McSkimming (SAC), 2-6, 6-3, 6-3

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