Senior tennis player Margarita Karnaukhova is no stranger to big competition.

“It feels the same as it did last year,” the two-time NCAA tournament veteran said of her invitation to the 2005 Riviera/ITA Women’s All-American Championships. The Hornets are hoping that she will be able to advance further than she did last season.

Karnaukhova lost to Cristelle Grier of Northwestern 6-4, 6-3 in the quarter finals of last year’s tournament.

Joining Karnaukhova in Southern California is teammate junior Cecilia Helland.

Helland, who will be in the tournament for the first time, said that she is excited to have the opportunity to compete against high-level competition. The fall tournament draws the top players from division one colleges.

Head coach Bill Campbell believes both players can do very well in the tournament and thinks Karnaukhova has a reasonable chance to win.

While Karnaukhova is already slated for the main draw Oct. 6-9, Helland will have to play in a qualifying round Oct. 1-2 at UCLA.

This will be the third straight season that two Sac State players have made it to the tournament. With Karnaukhova already setting the school record as the highest ranked Hornet, No. 14, maybe this year she can also bring the Riviera trophy to Sac State.

Karnaukhova wins Fresno tourney

Senior Margarita Karnaukhova won the Fresno State Bulldog Classic, beating Katharina Winterhalter 6-2, 6-2 in the finals.

Karnaukhova is now ranked No. 14 in the nation, the highest ranking ever for a Sac State player.

She dropped only two sets in five matches for the tournament while taking down Santa Clara’s Kim Daniel 6-2, 6-0, Cal Poly’s Maria Malec, 6-3, 6-2, Fresno state’s Jacqui Haskett, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, Fresno Pacific’s Angelina Minova 0-6, 6-4, 6-2 and Winterhalter.

Also in the tournament for Sac State were Junior Cecilia Helland and three freshmen, Svetlana Pimenova, Karina Jarlkaganova and Irina Taranenko.

No. 80 Helland made it to the round of 16 before losing to Fresno state’s Bruna Paes 7-5, 6-3.

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Krystina Uribe can be reached at [email protected]