Baca named acting coach of Sac State women

The Sacramento State women's team poses after winning the 2012 Big Sky
Conference tournament at the Gold River Racquet Club in the Sacramento
area. Coach Dima Hrynashka is at front left, and Clarisse Baca is standing
third from right. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Former Sacramento State star Clarisse Baca has been named the acting coach of the Hornets women.
   In each of Baca's four years as a player at Sac State (2009-12), the Hornets won the Big Sky Conference regular-season and tournament championship and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
   A native of Chihuahua, Mexico, Baca was named to the all-Big Sky first team three times after earning second-team honors as a freshman. She was the team captain for three years and helped Sac State earn a top-30 national ranking while playing No. 4 singles and No. 2 doubles.
   Baca went undefeated in Big Sky dual matches and was part of Sac State's 112-match unbeaten streak in league play spanning almost 13 years. She had coached juniors since graduating in 2012.
   Baca replaces Dima Hrynashka, who took a leave of absence for personal reasons, Sac State director of tennis Bill Campbell said today.
   Campbell added that Hrynashka, who was not available for comment, likely will miss the fall and spring seasons and then decide whether to return.
   Sac State's news release on Oct. 6 announcing the coaching change did not mention Hrynashka's name.
   Hrynashka, a Belarus native, has gone 168-96 (.636) overall and 85-4 (.955) in Big Sky play in 10 seasons as the Sac State women's coach.
   The Hornets won their 13th consecutive Big Sky tournament title in 2014 but lost in the final last year and in the semifinals in April.
   Hrynashka has won five Big Sky Coach of the Year awards (2008-11 and 2013).