SACRAMENTO -- For the first time since 2012, the Sacramento State women's tennis team laid claim to a Big Sky Conference regular season title, sweeping past visiting Portland State by a 7-0 score and sending its seniors out with a victory on Saturday afternoon at the Sacramento State Tennis Courts.
The Hornets closed out the regular season with a 17-7 overall record and a 6-2 mark in Big Sky play, splitting the regular season crown with Idaho State and Montana. By virtue of tiebreakers, however, the Hornets will be the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Big Sky Tournament and will face No. 6 seeded Northern Arizona in the opening round on April 25 at the Phoenix Tennis Center in Phoenix, Ariz.
The Vikings ended the season at 6-10 overall and 3-5 in league.
No other Big Sky school has won more regular season titles than Sacramento State, which clinched its 10th overall regular season crown, but the first since ending a run of nine consecutive crowns from 2004-12, going a combined 65-0 in that stretch.
This year's 17 victories are also the most since that 2012 team finished 17-10 overall — a squad that featured current Hornet head coach Sophie Breault (nee Lohscheidt) — while the 6-2 mark in Big Sky play is the best since the 2018 squad finished 9-2 in league.
Sacramento State opened the day by clinching the doubles point with wins at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots as the duos of
Maddy Ferreros and
Irene Riva, along with
Lou Baudouin and
Mayya Gorbunova, each posted identical 6-4 wins to stake the Hornets to a 1-0 lead in the match.
Shifting to singles, Sacramento State then rolled to the shutout via straight sets in all six contests.
Best Lee at No. 6 was the first on the board with a 6-2, 6-0, win, followed by
Elena Mercioiu at No. 4, posting a 7-5, 6-3, victory. Ferreros then nailed down the overall victory with her 7-6, 6-2, win at No. 2.
Gorbunova at No. 1, Baudouin at No. 3, and Riva at No. 5, then wrapped up the day with straight-set wins of their own. The wins by Baudouin and Riva both gave them their 17th singles triumphs of the season, tying for the team lead at 17-3 overall on the year.
NCAA WOMEN'S TENNIS
Sacramento State 7, Portland State 0
April 20, 2024 // Sacramento, Calif. (Sacramento State Tennis Courts)
DOUBLES
1. Scarlett Perkins / Capu Sanoner (PS) def.
Weronika Ejsmont /
Best Lee (SAC), 6-2
2.
Maddy Ferreros /
Irene Riva (SAC) def. Nika Beukers / Momoko Yoshimura (PS), 6-4
3.
Lou Baudouin /
Mayya Gorbunova (SAC) def. Makoto Ohara / Elizabeth Strongina (PS), 6-4
Order of finish: 1, 2, 3*
SINGLES
1.
Mayya Gorbunova (SAC) def. Elizabeth Strongina (PS), 6-4, 6-1
2.
Maddy Ferreros (SAC) def. Capu Sanoner (PS), 7-6, 6-2
3.
Lou Baudouin (SAC) def. Nika Beukers (PS), 7-5, 6-3
4.
Elena Mercioiu (SAC) def. Momoko Yoshimura (PS), 6-2, 6-2
5.
Irene Riva (SAC) def. Makoto Ohara (PS), 7-5, 6-3
6.
Best Lee (SAC) def. Scarlett Perkins (PS), 6-2, 6-0
Order of finish: 6, 4, 2*, 1, 3, 5
