PHOENIX, AZ – After posting a perfect 17-0 first singles mark and a 21-0 doubles record, BYU-Hawaii junior I-Hsuan (Annie) Hwang (Tainan City, Taiwan) has been selected the Pacific West Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Year.

BYU-Hawaii rookie Shoazhuo (Sherry) Liu (Tianjin, China) was named the PacWest Freshman of the Year, while Hawai‘i Hilo junior Melanie Viriyapunt (Santa Ana, CA/Kapolei) claimed the PacWest Newcomer of the Year.

The Pacific West Conference announced the awards along with the All-PacWest Team on the league’s Internet radio show live on KQCK on Thursday, May 24, from San Tan Valley, AZ. The various players of the year are nominated and voted upon by the head coaches of the PacWest.

Hwang led the Seasiders to a 29-1 overall record and a runner-up finish in the NCAA Division II National Championship Tournament.

She was named All-PacWest First Team Singles and Doubles for the second consecutive season and posted a 20-0 first doubles mark with partner Liu. Liu, meanwhile, was named All-PacWest First Team Singles and Doubles after recording a 14-0 individual mark all at second singles to go along with her doubles record.

The PacWest All-Conference Team is selected based upon the final available Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s (ITA) West Region singles and doubles rankings prior to the NCAA II playoffs.

The Top 6 singles players in the West Region are considered First Team, while the remaining players in the Top 15 are named to the Second Team. The Top 3 Doubles Teams are named First Team, while any remaining doubles teams in the Top 10 are classified as All-PacWest Second Team.

Even though she posted just a 6-13 first singles record, the coaches of the PacWest recognized the talent of Viriyapunt in naming her the Newcomer of the Year. The award is presented to non-freshman players competing in the PacWest for the first time.

Dave Porter, the head coach of BYU-Hawaii, was named the PacWest Coach of the Year after sharing the honor last season with Greg Prudhomme of Grand Canyon. He also captured the honor in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Porter guided the Seasiders to an unbeaten regular season, another PacWest title, and a second-place finish at the national championship tournament. BYU-Hawaii has captured all six women’s tennis championships since the conference reformed in 2006-07.

In addition to Lu and Hwang, BYU-Hawaii landed a total of three All-PacWest First Team selections and a fourth Second Team choice.

Senior Yuan Jia (Zhengzhou, China), the 2011 PacWest Player of the Year, earned her fourth All-PacWest First Team selection in 2012. She posted a 14-1 singles mark, including a 10-0 third singles record.

Jia also teamed up with freshman Marietta Tuionetoa (San Francisco, CA) to earn All-PacWest First Team Doubles accolades – her fourth straight honor. For her career, Jia totaled eight All-PacWest First Team selections. The duo led all PacWest doubles teams with a 22-0 record, including an 18-0 mark at second doubles.

BYU-Hawaii freshman Tanja Rebholz (Germany) earned All-PacWest Second Team Singles accolades after registering an 18-1 record during the season. She unleashed a perfect 7-0 third singles mark and was 7-1 at fourth singles.

Hawai‘i Pacific landed two All-PacWest First Team Singles selections in sophomore Celina Goetti (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) and senior Zora Vlckova (Brno, Czech Republic).

Goetti, a Second Team choice last season, recorded a 7-5 second singles record, while Vlckova earned her fourth straight All-PacWest First Team honor after going 13-4 at first singles.

Goetti and junior Ielyzaveta Rybakova (Kiev, Ukraine) claimed Second Team Doubles accolades following a 15-3 overall record and a 12-3 mark at second doubles. Goetti was a First Team Doubles recipient in 2011 while Rybakova claimed Second Team honors.

HPU freshman Magdalena Smejova (Velke Hostice, Czech Republic) earned Second Team accolades after she posted a 6-3 third singles record. She also teamed up with rookie Vivian Hansen (Flensburg, Germany) to earn All-PacWest First Team Doubles. The duo posted a 9-7 mark at first doubles this year.

Grand Canyon landed three All-PacWest selections, including freshman Priscilla Annoual (Peoria, AZ/Primavera) who claimed First Team honors. Freshman Justine Majan (Grenoble, France) and junior Katharina Mittag (Hamburg, Germany) – a First Team choice in 2011 - were named to the Second Team.

Annoual recorded a 12-3 mark at first singles and a 5-1 record at second singles, while Majan was 19-3 overall. She went 13-3 at third singles, 6-0 at fourth singles and had the 10^th-best singles winning percentage at .864 among all PacWest players.

Mittag was 5-1 at first singles and 6-8 at second singles. She also was an All-PacWest Second Team Doubles pick with sophomore teammate Frederique Van de Velde (Kapelle, Belgium). Van de Velde was a Second Team Doubles selection last season. The duo posted a 12-9 first doubles record in 2012.

Academy of Art senior Kunkanda Phukchampa (Lampang, Thailand), a 2011 All-PacWest Second Team Singles and Doubles player, earned Second Team honors in both categories again this season.

Individually, Phukchampa was 8-11 at first singles and 4-5 with freshman Jenny Johannson (Almhult, Sweden) at first doubles. Johannson also earned All-PacWest Second Team Doubles.

Chaminade senior Yuka Kondo (Irvine, CA/San Joaquin) earned her third All-PacWest Singles honor of her career, taking Second Team accolades for the second straight season. She was a First Team choice in 2010.

This year Kondo went 10-4 at second singles for the Silverswords. She also posted a 10-6 first doubles record with sophomore Yanita Arnaudova (Haskova, Bulgaria) to earn All-PacWest Second Team accolades. It marked the second straight Second Team Doubles selection for Arnaudova, while Konda was named to the Second Team Doubles for the third consecutive year.

Dominican (CA) claimed an All-PacWest Second Team reward thanks to the partnership of sophomore Irinia Morozova (San Francisco, CA/West Bay) and junior Gaby Verspieren (Fair Oaks, CA/St. Francis). The duo had an outstanding season together, posting a 9-6 first doubles record for the Penguins.