Hawaii tennis: Petra Melounova three-peats as Big West player of year; Andre Ilagan honored

Make it 3-for-3 for Hawaii tennis junior Petra Melounova.

Three straight trips to the NCAA women’s individual tennis tournament. And, on Wednesday, three straight Big West player of the year awards.

Melounova, of the Czech Republic, is only the third Big West women’s player to receive the league’s top individual honors three times in a career.

#BWCHonors Player of the Year – Petra Melounova (@UofHawaiiTennis)

3rd all-time to be named POY 3 times

Secured 3rd-straight berth to the NCAA Singles Championship

Posted a 13-2 dual match record all at No. 1 singles #LeaveALegacy pic.twitter.com/EiyZpoIyLO

— Big West Tennis (@BigWestTennis) May 1, 2019

Perhaps most impressively, she did it this year without being able to generate a full-power overhead swing, which primarily affected her serve. Despite that she finished the regular season 13-2 in singles while playing at the No. 1 court.

The Rainbow Wahine came just short of repeating as Big West tournament champions, falling 4-3 to Long Beach State in the dual match finals last week. But Melounova, who is ranked No. 60 individually in the NCAA, was the top-ranked player in the conference and thus received the automatic invitation to Orlando, Fla., May 20-25. It was the fifth time in six years a UH women’s player qualified for the tournament (Cindy Nguyen got there in 2014 and ’15). Melounova is the only Big West player going this year.

Senior Maayan Sela, in her only year at UH after transferring from Pacific, picked up All-BWC second-team honors.

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The UH men’s tennis team had a disappointing Big West season, losing its final four dual matches then falling in the first round of the Big West tournament. But freshman Andre Ilagan was a bright spot at the No. 1 court; the Farrington High graduate picked up Big West freshman of the year and All-BWC first-team awards on Wednesday.

He is the first Hawaii men’s player to be a Big West top frosh; UH’s previous such awards came in the WAC. He went 10-7 at the No. 1 court, including 4-3 in Big West play.

#BWCHonors Freshman of the Year – Andre Ilagan (@HawaiiAthletics)

1st from UH to capture #BigWest Freshman of the Year

Sported a 12-7 dual match singles record, including 10-7 at the No. 1 spot

Finished 4-3 against Big West Conference opponents#LeaveALegacy | #GoBows 🌈 pic.twitter.com/2bu1K0Tnc6

— Big West Tennis (@BigWestTennis) May 1, 2019

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Lucas Labrunie picked up All-BWC second-team honors.