For the second time in three years, Hornet tennis sensation Margarita Karnaukhova has been named Sacramento State’s Female Athlete of the Year.

A native of Krasnodar, Russia, Karnaukhova’s credentials include her third-consecutive Big Sky Most Valuable Player Award, four Big Sky Player of the Week honors, and a stellar 23-2 record on the season.-

The MVP award marks the first time in history that a female athlete has won three Big Sky MVPs in any sport.-

Currently ranked No. 22 in the nation and ranked all year, she was especially tough on other nationally-ranked competition. Playing out of her No. 1 singles spot, Karnaukhova finished with an impressive 7-1 record against ranked opponents. Karnaukhova attributes her success to an improved forehand and a rising confidence level, something she’s been working on all year.

“I had trouble with my forehand at the beginning of last semester, but I’ve done a lot of work with my coaches, so now it is a strength and not a weakness,”

Karnaukhova said. “I’m lucky enough to have a good all-around game, and I’m confident in the weapons I have.”

With her physical talents honed to precision this season, Karnaukhova has placed a heavy emphasis on working on her mental game. As far as she’s concerned, there’s nothing more important to her game than having confidence in herself.

“The last three years, I’ve had more chances to play better players and I know that I am right there with them. The toughest part is feeling totally confident, feeling like I can’t lose,” Karnaukhova said.-

Her experience at the 2004 NCAA Tournament has helped her realize that not only can she keep up with the best, she can beat the best.-

“Last year in the NCAA tournament, I beat the No. 9 player in the nation in three sets, which was unexpected.-

“I was a dark horse coming in, and that was a big win for me.- When I lost to Amber Liu (the eventual tournament champion), my goal was not so much to win — she was there to win for sure — but to gain more experience.”

Karnaukhova’s road to maturity has not been a lonely one however, as she credits her coaches and teammates for pushing her to the top.

“I’m very happy with the opportunities I’ve been given here. My coaches and the girls have really done a great job in trying to help me get better,” Karnaukhova said. “They give me so much support, I feel like they have been my family while mine is back home.”

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Josh Terrell can be reached at [email protected]