FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 5-13-02

BYU Hawaii Defeats AASU, 5-1, For 2002 DII Women's Tennis Championship

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Top-ranked BYU Hawaii won its third NCAA Division II Women's Tennis National Championship in the last four years with a 5-1 win over No. 2-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State University on Monday morning at the Plaza Tennis Club in Kansas City, Mo.

The Lady Seasiders (29-0) won two of three doubles points, although the Lady Pirates (26-4) took the No. 1 doubles point as sophomore Zsofi Golopencza and senior Michaela Kratochvilova defated the BYU Hawaii doubles duo of Petra Gaspar and Tagifano Taosoga, 8-6.

BYU Hawaii then got three quick straight-set wins at No. 3, No. 5 and No. 6 singles match to clinch the victory.

The Lady Pirates were making their first appearance in the NCAA DII National Championship match since 1999 and have been a part of the final match in eight of the last 10 seasons. BYU Hawaii won national championships in 1999 and 2000 and finished runner-up in 2001 since joining NCAA Division II from NAIA in 1999.

Women: BYU Hawaii 5, AASU 1

Singles
#1 – Zsofi Golopencza (AASU) and Adrienne Hegedus (BYUH) DNF, match clinched
#2 – Michaela Kratochvilova (AASU) and Petra Gaspar (BYUH) DNF, match clinched
#3 – Kellie Taguchi (BYUH) def. Annamaria Forgacs (AASU) 6-4, 6-4
#4 – Tagifano Taosoga (BYUH) def. Laura Peaty (AASU) 6-0, 6-4
#5 – Tomoko Sukegawa (BYUH) def. Laura Puch (AASU) 6-0, 6-1
#6 – Gemma Vaughan (AASU) and Amy Sun (BYUH) DNF, match clinched

Doubles
#1 – Kratochvilova/Golopencza (AASU) def. Gaspar/Taosoga (BYUH) 8-6
#2 – Taguchi/Sukegawa (BYUH) def. Forgacs/Peaty (AASU) 8-5
#3 – Hegedus/Sun (BYUH) def. Aguilar/Puch (AASU) 8-2
Records: BYUH (29-0), AASU (26-4)