Three
49ers get Big West honors
By Todd Leland
On-line Forty-Niner
Three
players from Long Beach State were named
to the Big West all-conference tennis team
this weekend.
Alena Kovalchuk, Laura Thomas and Lindsey
Marvel were all named as outstanding conference
performers for their efforts on the court
this season.
Kovalchuk, a junior transfer student from
University of Texas, was named to the All-Big
West first team. In the No.1 singles spot
this season Kovalchuk played her way to
an impressive 11-2 record.
Kovalchuk teamed with Lindsey Marvel in
doubles to post an overall record of 10-3,
going 8-3 in the No.1 doubles spot while
winning both of their matches in the No.2
doubles position. The effort was not overlooked
as Marvel and Kovalchuk were named first
team all-conference in doubles play.
Not to be outdone Marvel was also named
Big West Honorable Mention for her stellar
singles competition play. Marvel went 4-1
in No.2 singles matches and 9-6 in No.3
singles matches with an overall season record
of 19-11.
Joining Kovalchuk and Marvel as a conference
honoree was sophomore Laura Thomas. Thomas
put together a strong spring as she went
2-5 in the No.1 singles spot and 8-5 in
the No.2 position with an overall season
record of 16-15. Thomas was selected to
the All-Big West Second Team for singles.
After a rough 0-3 start to the season Marvel,
Kovalchuk and Thomas helped lead Long Beach
State to a 15-8 finish and the BWC championship
final for the third consecutive year. The
49ers could not repeat as Big West champions
as they lost 4-1 to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
With the win, the 20-6 Mustangs earned their
first ever Big West women’s tennis title
and won the right to compete in the NCAA
Championships. Cal Poly will play 31st ranked
Georgia Tech in first round action May 9.
For his part in orchestrating Cal Poly’s
first ever tennis title, Mustangs head coach
Hugh Bream was named Big West Conference
Coach of the Year.
Big West Player of the Year honors went
to UC Santa Barbara senior Uzma Kahn. Kahn
compiled a dual record of 24-0, while going
22-0 in No.1 singles matches this Spring.
She also put up a spectacular 19-3 mark
in the No.1 doubles position.
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