Sacramento State men’s tennis started out strong in doubles but lost momentum going into singles, where UC Davis took the lead and stole the match.

On the other hand, Sacramento State women’s tennis continues to trailblaze into a 6-0 streak, the best start to a season in Division I history.

Sacramento State Men’s Tennis

The Hornets looked to capitalize going into Friday’s matchup against the Aggies after winning three of their last four.

The match started off hot, with doubles pairing sophomore Henry Lamchinniah and freshman Gur Libal going neck-and-neck with the Aggies. UC Davis secured a win at second doubles but the Hornets retaliated with a win at third and a contentious series at first.

The Aggies and Hornets’ doubles teams both fought for the lead, meeting at four wins each. Libal and Lamchinniah elevated beyond the stalemate, grabbing the next two games and securing the victory 6-4 for the Hornets.

Davis’ junior Lucas Bollinger and freshman Kaveh Taheri outplayed Sac State freshmen Martin Duris and Miles Whitehead to land the Aggies’ lone doubles win. Bollinger and Taheri consistently added power to their hits to maintain a lead throughout the game.

Sac State’s senior Hayden Rand and freshman Nick Bowles scooped up a 6-1 victory at the third doubles spot. Rand and Bowles made swift work with drive volley hits the Aggies couldn’t keep up with.

Though the Hornets rallied in doubles, the winning flow did not translate into the singles slate.

Three of the four singles the Hornets finished carried into three sets, besides Lamchinniah. He was swept in two, during the first singles slot.

Scoring came down to balls narrowly missing the inbounds of the sideline on crucial plays for the Hornets, resulting in Davis taking four of six singles to clinch the win and retake the lead.

Libal, Bowles, Rand and Whitehead took the Aggies to three sets but couldn’t close out.

Libal said fatigue and pressure played a part in the Hornets fizzling out against their rivals.

“Sometimes you just want to rest, but you need to come here and play,” Libal said. “Pressure is a privilege. I’m just trying to get used to that pressure.”

The team shared the sentiment that exhaustion may have crept into the young squad in Friday afternoon’s game, but said they believe that conditioning can be improved to prevent this from happening again.

Assistant coach Brian Martinez said conditioning is a focal point for the team’s future.

“We’ve had a long week, so it’s really about prioritizing our fitness this week so we’re ready,” Martinez said.

The Hornets have secured three wins on the season, with one player picking up conference honors.

Libal was named the Big Sky Conference Men’s Tennis Player of the Week during the road stretch where he held a 4-1 singles record.

Gur Libal had a busy week, winning 7 combined singles and doubles matches, which were highlighted by his Big Sky wins over Portland State #ExperienceElevated pic.twitter.com/VH90Qn9XR5

— Big Sky Conference (@BigSkyConf) February 12, 2025

Libal said that, regardless of accolades, he is focused on improving his game.

“I’m not a person who likes to celebrate too much,” Libal said. “I like to keep it simple. It’s day-to-day. Player of the Week, not Player of the Week, to show up every day and work hard is what matters.”

RELATED: All hands on deck: Sac State’s reserves carry the load in loss to Northern Colorado

The men’s team returns to action on Monday, Feb. 24 at 1 p.m. where they’ll host Saint Mary’s.

Sacramento State Women’s Tennis

Sac State women’s tennis currently holds the best start to the season in Division I history, with a 6-0 record. The previous streak was held at 4-0 in both 2002 and 2008. The team’s undefeated start sits them atop the Big Sky.

The Hornets continued their unbeaten tour in Southern California with a competitive victory over Cal State Fullerton. The winning game came down to sophomore Elena Mercioiu in a second-set tiebreaker with the fifth singles.

The Titans went headstrong, winning the doubles matches 2-1 to take the lead. Sac State responded, only dropping one singles match against Fullerton to finish the day with a 4-3 victory.

In light of the Hornets’ historic start to the season, redshirt sophomore Lou Baudouin was named the Big Sky’s Women’s Tennis Co-Player of the Week. Boudouin won four of her last six singles games, elevating the Hornets to their historic undefeated run.

Lou Baudouin went 4-0 on the week, helping extend the best start in program history for @SacStateWTennis #ExperienceElevated pic.twitter.com/vqGAoG2F2W

— Big Sky Conference (@BigSkyConf) February 19, 2025

They look to continue their historic start to the year and improve to 7-0 against Santa Clara at 11 a.m. on Saturday.