BYU-Hawaii’s Li, Porter capture Player, Coach of the Year honors

PHOENIX, AZ – BYU-Hawaii junior Hewenfei (Elwen) Li (Chengdu, China) has been selected the 2010 Pacific West Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Year, while Chaminade sophomore Yuko Kondo (Irvine, CA/San Joaquin) and Grand Canyon junior Cecilia Vergnet (La Colle sur Loup, France) have been named Co-Newcomers of the Year.

Academy of Art rookie Diane Phan (Fremont, CA/Mission San Jose) claimed the Freshman of the Year honor and BYU-Hawaii head coach Dave Porter was named the PacWest Coach of the Year.

The PacWest media office announced the women’s tennis awards and All-PacWest Team on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010, from Phoenix, AZ.

Porter continued his mastery of the PacWest Conference, leading his Seasiders to their fourth straight title since the league began expanding under its current administration in 2006-07. He led the Seasiders to a 32-1 overall record this year with their lone loss occurring in the NCAA II National Championship match.

Li had another stellar season for BYU-Hawaii, finishing the year with a 25-0 singles mark. She produced a 9-0 record at first singles and a 16-0 mark at second singles while also teaming up with sophomore Yuan Jia (Zhengzhou, China) to record a 25-1 record at first doubles.

Li was named All-PacWest First Team Singles and Doubles for the third straight season. Jia joined her by claiming All-PacWest First Team Singles and Doubles for the second consecutive year after recording a perfect 29-0 singles mark. She was 20-0 at first singles and 9-0 at second singles.

In addition to sharing the Co-Newcomer of the Year award, Konda claimed All-PacWest First Team Singles and was a Second Team Doubles selection with senior Tiffany De Vincent (Waialua, HI/Waialua). Individually she posted a 10-9 record at first singles, while she and De Vincent posted a 13-7 mark at first doubles.

De Vincent, who recorded a 13-6 second singles mark to rank third in the conference, was named All-PacWest Second Team for her efforts.

Vergnet followed Kondo’s lead and picked up an All-PacWest First Team Singles award to go along with a Second Team Doubles honor. She was 16-9 at first singles and 18-8 at first doubles with junior partner Stephanie Haldeman (Peoria, AZ/Centennial).

Haldeman earned Second Team All-PacWest accolades at second singles and doubles, posting a 16-9 second singles record.

Phan picked up the rookie award and All-PacWest Second Team Singles honors after recording an 8-12 record at first doubles against some of the stiffest competition in Division II.

Hawai‘i Hilo senior Christie Pagatpatan (Waipahu, HI/Waipahu) made her All-PacWest First Team Singles debut in 2010, capping her career with three straight all-conference honors. She was a Second Team choice in 2008 and 2009.

Pagatpatan posted a 12-10 first singles record this spring and teamed up with freshman Anna Hamlin (Gothenburg, Sweden) for a spot on the All-PacWest Second Team in the doubles competition. The duo posted an 8-16 record at first doubles.

Hawai‘i Pacific sophomore Zora Vlackova (Brno, Czech Republic) rounded out the six All-PacWest First Team Singles players by claiming the honor for the second straight season. She registered a phenomenal 18-3 mark at first singles and teamed up with senior Ingrid Cseh (Bucharest, Romania) to boast a 17-6 second singles record. She was named All-PacWest First Team Doubles for the second straight season.

Cseh, who was a First Team member last year and a Second Team choice in 2008, finishes her career with three straight All-PacWest Doubles Team certificates.

BYU-Hawaii junior Ayako Ikeda (Chiba, Japan) returned to the All-PacWest Team this year after first cradling the honors in 2008. She was a Second Team Singles player in 2010 after posting a 20-4 overall mark with a 16-4 record at third singles.

Ayako also snagged All-PacWest First Team Doubles accolades after claiming Second Team honors in 2008. She and sophomore Shawni Porter (Mesa, AZ/Mountain View) earned the doubles award by reeling off a 26-3 tandem mark – the third best in the conference in 2010.

The duo played mostly at second doubles where Porter and Ayako unleashed a 22-3 mark – tops in the conference with an .880 winning percentage.