While every other Sacramento State student was enjoying their spring break vacation, women?s tennis team was working hard to finish the regular season, recording three wins and two losses over the break.

The Hornets finished the break Sunday by shutting out Gonzaga University, 7-0, at home but started it on the wrong foot with a 7-0 loss at the hands of the University of Washington on March 24. Last Tuesday, Sac State cruised to a 6-1 victory over Montana State, before beating the University of Portland 5-2 Thursday and falling to the University of Nevada-Reno 5-2 on Saturday.

Sac State played its first four matches during the break on the road.With the victory against Gonzaga, the Hornets ended the season with a 15-3 record and are now the No. 1 seed going into the Big Sky Conference Regional Tournament.

Sacramento also set new program records this year, recording the longest winning streak (eight games), while recording the most wins in a season (15). In his fourth year as head coach, Bill Campbell seems optimistic about his team?s future.

“If we work hard and win our region, I think we have an excellent chance of making past the (Big Sky) championships,” Campbell said.

The Hornets swept Gonzaga in all of the singles and doubles matches. Senior Gabriella Lundqvuist, and junior Marta Gronowicz both won their singles matches and together beat Jamie Buterbaugh and Taio Miller in the first doubles match by a score of 8-2.

Freshman Roberta Fessenko?s singles match versus Aaryn Volkmann was the most closely contested singles match.

Fessenko won the first set 6-2, but Volkmann took the second set 6-4. Fessenko came out victorious in the final set, winning 10-6.

Campbell said the No. 14 ranked Huskies ? Sac State is ranked 59th ? just had too much firepower against his team.

The loss ended the Hornets? eight-game winning streak.

“We basically moved on (after their loss to Washington) and played well against Montana State,” said Campbell.

In Bozeman, Montana, Gronowicz was the only Hornet to lose against Montana State.

Campbell said he brought the team out to Montana because the Big Sky Championship tournament is going to be held there. He wanted the team to be familiar with the area so there wouldn?t be any surprises.

“The only difference is we might play outside,” Campbell said. “We played inside at Montana, and if the weather is nice, we?ll play outside.”

In Portland, the Hornets took the doubles matches 2-1 to earn the doubles point, and won four of six in the singles matches. Freshman Christina Rivieccio and Lundqvist were the only two to lose their singles matches.

Against the Nevada-Reno Wolf Pack, Amanda Sanches and Lundqvist were the only two players to win their singles matches. Sanches and doubles partner Petra Abraham were the only Hornets to win in the double competition.

Campbell said when he took the job as head coach four years ago they were the second worst team in the country. But after a slow, rebuilding process, he feels the team will be contender for many more years.

“I was building the team slowly, so I wouldn?t be stranded when my players graduated,” said Campbell.

Things are looking up for the Hornets, and Campbell feels if the team remains injury free, it will win the conference.

“We?ll automatically get past the regionals,” Campbell said.

The Hornets get rest before heading into the regional tournament, which runs from Apr. 12-14 in Sacramento.

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