PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Just a week ago, the Sacramento State and Idaho women's tennis teams battled head-to-head in a 4-3 thriller won by the Hornets that came down to a third-set tiebreaker in the final singles match of the day.
Friday's semifinal contest at the Big Sky Conference Championships didn't have the same amount of drama, but the result was the same as No. 75-ranked and No. 2-seeded Sacramento State posted a 4-0 shutout of the No. 3-seeded Vandals at the Phoenix Tennis Center in Phoenix, Ariz.
The defending tournament champion Hornets improved to 20-3 overall and advanced to Saturday's championship match where they will face top-seeded Northern Arizona — which handed Sacramento State its only conference defeat of the year by a 5-2 score in Flagstaff on April 5 — for the title. First serve is scheduled for 8 a.m.
With the victory, Sacramento State extended its winning streak to five straight duals — and 13 of its last 14 dating back to a 5-2 win over Portland on March 6 — and posted its 11th shutout of the season. The victory also gave the Hornets back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since the 2004 (23-4) and 2005 (23-5) seasons.
Idaho's season ended at 15-6 overall.
Sacramento State jumped out to the early lead with a doubles point victory as the tandem of Lou Baudouin and Emilija Pranyte was the first off at No. 2 with a 6-3 win over Lena Beckx and Ida Johansson. The team of Maddy Ferreros and Irene Riva then found themselves in a tight contest with Valentina Rodas and Naomi Schraeder at the No. 1 spot.
Ferreros and Riva found themselves down 4-2 in the match after trading points to start, but ran off four consecutive victories in the next four games to take the contest, 6-4. It was the duo's fourth doubles-point clinching victory of the season.
Switching to singles, the Hornets then dominated in their three singles wins at the even-numbered spots in the lineup. Sophomore Reese Walker made it a 2-0 lead with a 6-0, 6-3, win over Annabel Davis, while Pranyte posted a 6-1, 6-1, win over Rodas at No. 4 to put her team on the brink of victory.
Sophomore Elena Mercioiu then ended the day early with a straight-set win over Chenyue Xu at No. 6, finishing off the win with a 6-1, 6-2, victory for her fourth match-clinching point of the year.
NCAA WOMEN'S TENNIS - BIG SKY TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS
No. 75 Sacramento State 4, Idaho 0
April 25, 2025 // Phoenix, Ariz. (Phoenix Tennis Center)
DOUBLES
1. Maddy Ferreros / Irene Riva (SAC) def. Valentina Rodas / Naomi Schraeder (UI), 6-4
2. Lou Baudouin / Emilija Pranyte (SAC) def. Lena Beckx / Ida Johansson (UI), 6-3
3. Palina Saulevich / Reese Walker (SAC) vs. Diana Khaydarshina / Hanna Koprowska (UI), 4-5 unfinished
Order of finish: 2, 1*
SINGLES
1. Maddy Ferreros (SAC) vs. Diana Khaydarshina (UI), 2-6, 6-0, 1-2 unfinished
2. Reese Walker (SAC) def. Annabel Davis (UI), 6-0, 6-3
3. Lou Baudouin (SAC) vs. Hanna Koprowska (UI), 7-6, 2-1 unfinished
4. Emilija Pranyte (SAC) def. Valentina Rodas (UI), 6-1, 6-1
5. Irene Riva (SAC) vs. Naomi Schraeder (UI), 7-6, 1-2 unfinished
6. Elena Mercioiu (SAC) vs. Chenyue Xu (UI), 6-1, 6-2
Order of finish: 2, 4, 6*
