Pepperdine Tennis Sweeps WCC Doubles Player of the Month Awards
3/9/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
March 9, 2012
MALIBU, Calif. - The top doubles pairs from both the Pepperdine men's and women's tennis teams took home West Coast Conference Doubles Player of the Month Awards today, as announced by the league office. Alex Llompart and Finn Tearney won for the men's squad, while Khunpak Issara and Lorraine Guillermo were recognized on the women's side.
Llompart (Carolina, Puerto Rico/San Juan Educational School) and Tearney (Wellington, New Zealand/Wellington College) jumped from #53 to #4 in the latest installment of the ITA Collegiate Doubles Rankings, and for good reason. The Wave duo tallied five wins during the month of February, three of which were against teams ranked in the top-10.
To open the month, Llompart and Tearney issued Blaz Rola and Chase Buchanan of Ohio State their first loss of the season. Rola and Buchanan were recognized as the #1 doubles team in the NCAA at the time of competition, and despite the loss, remains on top of the polls.
Llompart and Tearney went on to defeat #9-ranked Nassim Slilam and Billy Federhofer of Florida and #3-ranked Ashley Watling and Clifford Marsland of Tulsa to clinch the doubles point and help send the Waves to a 4-3 triumph versus the Golden Hurricane.
This is the third time Llompart and Tearney have been recognized as the league's doubles team of the month, after winning twice during the 2011-12 season.
On the women's side, Issara (Bangkok, Thailand/Bangkok Patana School) and Guillermo (Walnut, Calif./Rowland HS) went a team-best 5-2 during the month of February. On February 10, the Waves faced Florida, the defending 2011 NCAA team champions and ranked #1 at the time.
Although Pepperdine suffered a 5-2 loss, Issara and Guillermo tallied a win over the Gator's top doubles team of Allie Will (ranked #1 in singles by the ITA) and Alexandra Cercone.
In the final dual of the month, the Wave tandem rallied from behind to defeat Arizona State's Jacqueline Cako and Hannah James 7-1 in the tiebreaker to help clinch the doubles point for Pepperdine. Issara and Guillermo's only two losses were to doubles teams ranked in the top five.
Issara and Guillermo were previously awarded WCC Doubles Team of the Month in September of last fall.
Although the Waves came up empty handed in the singles awards, players from both the men's and women's teams had successful runs in February.
Tearney currently ranked #26 in singles, played spectacularly and went a team-best 6-3 during the month of February. Five of those wins came against singles players listed in the ITA collegiate singles rankings. The junior delivered a giant come-from-behind win versus #57 Tsvetan Mihov of Oklahoma to send the Waves to the 4-3 win.
Issara held down the No. 2 spot in the lineup and tallied a team-high four singles victories in February, including a three-set triumph over #116-rnaked Michelle Brycki of Arizona State - her first win over a ranked opponent this season. In addition, she has also topped players from Cal State Northridge, UC Irvine and Boise State.
Loyola Marymount's Nicholas Bjerke went 5-0 in February and was selected as the WCC Singles Player of the Month, while Jenny Jullien of Saint Mary's tallied four wins to earn the honor.
The men's team returns to the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center on Wednesday, March 14 when they welcome Texas Tech. The next home women's dual is scheduled for Thursday, March 22 against Loyola Marymount.
