GLENDALE, AZ – BYU-Hawaii claimed all three doubles matches and captured second and sixth singles to beat Hawai'i Pacific 5-1 and claim the 2010 Hawaiian Airlines Pacific West Conference Women's Tennis Championship.
The victory occurred on Saturday at the Paseo Racquet Club in Glendale, AZ, during the final round of the three-day PacWest Championship tournament.
The Seasiders were the top-seeded team in the championship bracket, while the Sea Warriors were the second seed.
BYU-Hawaii junior Hewenfei (Elwen) Li (China) was named the MVP of the tournament after posting a 6-0 mark in six matches. She won all three of her second singles contests and teamed up with sophomore Yuan Jia (China) for a 3-0 mark at first doubles.
On Saturday, Li and Jia won first doubles 8-2 over HPU, while junior Salina Aranda (Kirksville, TX/Kirksville) and senior Seulki (Jenny) Chin (South Korea) collected third doubles 8-3. Aranda was a double-winner after taking sixth singles 6-1, 6-3, while Li claimed second singles 6-0, 6-4.
Junior Ayako Ikeda (Japan) and sophomore Shawni Porter (Mesa, AZ/Mountain View) eked out a second doubles win by the score of 8-6.
The Sea Warriors' lone victory came at fourth singles when senior Tinka Mihonva (Bulgaria) carved out a 6-0, 6-1 triumph.
Chaminade recorded its highest finish ever in the PacWest Championship by taking third place after beating Dixie State 5-2. The Silverswords rolled through all three doubles matches and won first and second singles.
Sophomore Yuko Kondo (Irvine, CA/San Joaquin) and senior Tiffany De Vincent (Waialua, HI/Waialua) earned an 8-2 win at first doubles, while sophomore Natalie Phanphengdy (Aiea, HI/Aiea) and senior Stacey Chaussoy (French Polynesia) captured second doubles 8-4. Third doubles belonged to sophomore Karen Chaussoy (French Polynesia) and junior Silkie Kawahakui (Waialua, HI/Waialua) by the same score.
Kondo and De Vincent were double-winners after Kondo won first singles 6-0, 6-3 and De Vincent earned a victory at second singles 6-1, 6-3.
De Vincent also was the coaches' choice for the Sportsmanship Award given out each year at the PacWest Women's Tennis Championship.
Dixie State sophomore Lauren Tarver (Wrightwood. CA/Serrano) (Wrightwood, CA/Serrano) claimed sixth singles 6-0, 6-1, while freshman Courtney Kezerian (Orem, UT/Orem) (Orem, UT/Orem) captured fifth singles 6-1, 6-0.
Hawai'i Hilo blanked Dominican (CA) 5-0 in the battle for seventh place thanks to the Vulcans' ability to corral all three doubles matches vs. the Penguins. Freshman Anna Hamlin (Sweden) and senior Christie Pagatpatan (Waipahu, HI/Waipahu) earned an 8-1 win at first doubles, while senior Justine Abella (Cerritos, CA/St. Joseph) and sophomore Jenna DeCleene (Green Bay, WI/Southwest) took second doubles 8-2.
Freshman Madison Wells (Kailua-Kona, HI/Makua Lani) and junior Kaylene Peric (Midland, MI/Dow) earned a third doubles victory by the score of 8-0, then earned 6-0, 6-0 wins at fifth and sixth singles, respectively.
The battle for fifth place went down to the final set of the last match of the entire three-day tournament when Academy of Art sophomore Maria “Belen” Tenorio (Ecuador) defeated Grrand Canyon freshman Kaila Knopf (Phoenix, AZ/Pinnacle) 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 at fourth singles. That victory lifted the #7 Urban Knights to a 5-4 win over #4 Grand Canyon.
Sophomore Paola Correa Fe (Mexico) won third singles 6-2, 6-4 after teaming up with senior Anna Ritchie (Rochester, MN/John Marshall) for an 8-4 second doubles win. Junior Laone “Lala” Botshoma (Botswana) also was a double-winner, taking second singles 7-5, 6-1 and sharing an 8-5 first doubles triumph with freshman Diane Phan (Fremont, CA/Mission San Jose).
Grand Canyon senior Mandy Prudhomme (Glendale, AZ/Deer Valley) and junior Ali Brackey (Sahuarita, AZ/Sahuarita) were responsible for three of their team's four victories.
First the duo captured third singles 8-6, then Prudhomme won fifth singles 6-0, 6-4 and Brackey claimed sixth singles 6-0, 6-1. Junior Cecilia Vergnet (France) earned a 6-1, 6-4 win at first singles.
Members of the media, as well as fans of the PacWest and its member institutions, can follow the results of the Pacific West Conference Women's Tennis Championships at www.pacificwestsports.org. Check out complete tennis statistics and box scores on the PacWest Women's Tennis website at: http://www.pacificwestsports.org/sports/wten/2009-10/stats/confstat.htm.
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