PORTLAND, Ore. - Playing two of their last three matches of 2011 this weekend, the Portland State women's tennis team will play two Big Sky opponents in No. 48 Sacramento State (April 15) and Eastern Washington (April 16). The Vikings will host the Hornets and travel to Cheney, Wash., to take on the Eagles.

On April 10, the Vikings took on Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, Ariz., PSU's first conference match since a Feb. 20 contest at Montana. The Jacks swept the Viks in doubles but were caught off guard in singles, with strong efforts by No. 1 Yuki Sugiyama and No. 4 Marti Pellicano on the fast courts of NAU.

Pellicano was on a mission against opponent Yumi Hasegawa, taking her opponent down to the wire in each set. In the end, Pellicano was defeated 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.

Sugiyama also went three sets with her opponent, Edit Suhajda, defeating the Lumberjack senior 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. The win by the Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan native was her 11th of the season and the fourth of the Big Sky Conference season.

Sugiyama is chasing history this weekend. With one win this weekend, she will win her fifth conference match of the season, the most by any Viking in the Big Sky's current duel season format. If she wins out the rest of the season, Sugiyama will finish the season with 14 wins, tied for the most since Portland State made the jump to Division I.

The task won't be easy for her though, she will face nationally ranked Tatsiana Kapshai of Sacramento State Friday afternoon. She sits 112th in the current ITA poll.

The Big Sky used to hold a regional tournament at the end of every season, pitting four conference schools against each other in a weekend of round robin matches  to determine a division champion.

Sacramento State sits atop the Big Sky standings at 7-0 and will close their conference season against the host Vikings. Overall, the Hornets are 15-8 this season and are currently on a three-match win streak, last losing to No. 25 Washington, 4-3, on April 2.

Clarisse Baca has been the ace in the middle of the lineup for Sac State, owning a 12-2 record at No. 4. She is a perfect 7-0 this season in conference matches. No. 1 Kapshai is 9-7 this season overall and 5-0 in conference contests, sitting out of the Northern Colorado and Montana State matches.

Eastern Washington is 5-15 this season and currently on a 12-match losing streak, earning its last victory Feb. 19  over Idaho State, 4-3. Helon Ricks has been the Eagles anchor this season with a team-best 10-8 record. She is currently 5-2 in Big Sky matches.

At the beginning of the tennis season, EWU defeated SeattleU, 6-1 (Jan. 23).

Portland State will close its season April 20 with a match against Idaho State. Viking seniors Anya Dalkin, Masha Los, Caitlin Stocking and Sugiyama will be honored for their contributions before the match. A time and location are still to be determined.