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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, May 20, 2008

BYUH freshman Li named national rookie of the year

Advertiser Staff

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Elwen Li

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Brigham Young-Hawai'i freshman Elwen Li, who won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Small College women's singles championship last fall, was named ITA national Rookie of the Year. Hawai'i Pacific's Stefan Pampulov and BYUH's Dave Porter both earned ITA regional coaching honors.

HPU's Ingrid Cseh and Daniel Luedi are the West Region's ITA Players to Watch. BYUH freshman Rong Ma is the West's ITA men's Rookie of the Year. Laura Ramona Husaru, the lone senior on the BYUH roster, is the West's Senior Player of the Year.

Li played No. 1 singles and was the division's top-ranked player last week when second-ranked Armstrong Atlantic upset the top-ranked Seasiders in the NCAA Division II semifinals. Armstrong went on to sweep eighth-ranked Barry to win its fourth DII title.

The Seasiders finished at 28-1. The loss ended their 88-match winning streak. Since joining DII in the spring of 1999, BYU-Hawai'i's dual match record is 321-3 and it has won seven national titles.

Pampulov led both Sea Warriors teams to the NCAA DII quarterfinals for the second consecutive year. Both teams were ranked in the top 20 all season, with the men (20-2) finishing No. 1 in the West Region and the women (22-8) No. 2.