WASHINGTON–While many in Hawaii were still asleep, women’s tennis teams from Hawaii Pacific University (HPU) and Brigham Young University-Hawaii (BYU-H) were getting it done on the tennis courts in Altamonte, Fla.
Following Wednesday morning victories, the teams have advanced to the quarterfinal round of the 2010 NCAA Division II Women’s Tennis Championship tournament.
BYU-H advanced by defeating Clayton State (Georgia) 5-1, including victories in three straight doubles matches. Jenny Chin, who was awarded the NCAA II National Senior Player of the Year, had an especially strong showing, winning a doubles match 8-0, and taking her singles match 6-0 and 6-0 in straight sets.
The Seasiders arrived in Altamonte, Fla. after a red-eye flight Monday morning. When asked if the time change has had an affect on his players, Head Coach David Porter responded, “Absolutely.”
“We had a 10:30 match this morning, which means we had to be ready for warm-ups at 8:30,” said Porter. “That’s 2:30 in the morning in Hawaii, and that makes a big difference on the body’s clock.”
The Seasiders still delivered a dominant performance over Clayton St., who they faced and defeated earlier this year as well.
The HPU Sea Warriors also advanced after a 5-1 victory over Concordia (New York). They also registered three straight doubles matches. Next up for the No. 9 ranked team will be California University of Pennsylvania.
HPU and BYU-H, who face Northwood (Mich.) next, will have a day to rest and further adjust to the early start times. Thursday’s Quarterfinal matches start at 9:00 a.m. EST for both teams.
James Johnson is a report for Hawaii Reporter. Reach him at mailto:jkenii@hotmail.com