PENSACOLA, FLA. — The BYU-Hawaii women's tennis team won its second consecutive NCAA Division II National Championship here last month by defeating Lynn University of Boca Raton, Fla., 5-0. The title is the second for BYU-Hawaii at the Division II level and it comes in the school's second year in the division. The Seasiders won national titles each of the last four years, with the first two coming in the NAIA.

BYU-Hawaii swept all four of its matches at the national tournament by identical 5-0 scores, completing a dominant season that saw the team compile a 30-0 dual match record and extend their school record winning streak to 67 consecutive matches. The team was ranked No. 1 in the nation all season.

The Seasiders were led by No. 1 ranked singles and doubles player Petra Gaspar from Budapest, Hungary. A finalist for the Honda Award given to the top female athlete in the division, she was undefeated on the season in both singles and doubles. Her doubles partner, Tagifano So'onalole, and teammates Helena Nordwall and Karin Ptaszek were all named First-Team All-Americans. For Karin, a senior from Denmark, it was her fourth consecutive First-Team designation to go with her four national team titles.

Tagifano, who was baptized into the Church a year ago, was also named as the National and West Region Intercollegiate Tennis Association Player to Watch for the year.

Head Coach David Porter was named West Region ITA Coach of the Year. Petra, Karin and Helena were also honored with Pacific West Conference All-Academic Team honors. Helena, who is from Sweden, was also accorded Regional All-Academic honors.

Rounding out the team were Tomoko Sukegawa from Japan and a pair of missionaries. Senior Maylani Ah-Hoy, a returned missionary (California Roseville Mission) from Samoa had an outstanding year playing doubles regularly and filling in at singles, and Terah Porter, who has received a call to serve a mission to England, played the final singles slot for the team.

Coach Porter and the three members on the team spoke at a stake fireside in Pensacola while the team was there and local members came out to the matches to support the team.

The championship match was originally scheduled for Sunday by the NCAA but was moved to Monday at the request of BYU-Hawaii because the school does not play on Sundays, a fact that was reported in a positive manner by the Pensacola media.