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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, May 16, 2009

Top-ranked BYUH women eliminated


Advertiser Staff

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

David Porter

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Lynn University ended top-ranked Brigham Young-Hawai'i's unbeaten season in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Women's Tennis Championships yesterday in Altamonte Springs, Fla.

The Fighting Knights' 5-1 win was their second over a No. 1 team this season and put them in the national semifinals for the 12th time in 13 seasons.

The Seasiders (27-1) and coach David Porter were trying to win their eighth title since joining NCAA DII in 1999.

Lynn has won three national titles.

After losing No. 3 doubles Wednesday, BYUH was in tiebreakers on the other two doubles courts when rain postponed play until yesterday morning. It split those matches, with top-ranked Elwen Li and Yuan Jia overcoming fifth-ranked Katerina Jiskrova and Eleonora Iannozzi 9-8 (7-5).

The Seasiders moved ahead 3-2 when Li, ranked No. 3, beat 11th-ranked Jiskrova, 6-0, 6-2, at first singles, and Wen-Lin Wang stopped Jessica Yanoff, 6-2, 6-2, on the fourth court.

Lynn tied it with a win at No. 6, moved ahead when Iannozzi won and clinched when Alisson Siaci beat Ayako Ikeda, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Hawai'i Pacific, ranked 14th, also saw its season end in the quarterfinals when it lost to fourth-ranked Valdosta State, 5-2.

Lauren Shin and Anastasia Ageychik got HPU's only doubles win Wednesday. Up 2-1 going into yesterday's resumed matches, Valdosta won on the second, fifth and sixth singles courts to clinch.

Ingrid Cseh got the Sea Warriors' only singles victory with a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 4.

HPU's season ended 17-8.

On the men's side, sixth-ranked Hawai'i Pacific lost to top-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State, 5-1, in the semifinals.

The Sea Warriors finished the season 16-5.

HPU trailed 2-1 after doubles play, with Aleksandar Markov and Anton Samuilau getting the only point on a 9-7 victory at No. 3.

In singles, the Sea Warriors lost in straight sets at Nos. 1, 6 and 3 to end the season.