WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- For the second time this season, and for the third time in his Whitman College career, Steven Ly has been named Northwest Conference Player of the Week for men's tennis.
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Ly, a Whitman junior from Fairview, Ore., won three times at No. 1 singles last weekend to complete the NWC regular season with an 11-0 record in singles. He and doubles partner Phalkun Mam, also a junior, won two of three weekend matches at No. 1 doubles to finish with a 12-1 record against NWC opponents.
Ly, who has played No. 1 singles in each of his three seasons at Whitman, surpassed the 100-victory plateau (singles, doubles) in Saturday's 7-0 victory over the University of Puget Sound. He is the third member of the junior class to join Whitman's 100-win club this spring. Mam and Robbie Munday celebrated their 100th college victories last month.
Whitman finished the regular season with records of 18-6 and 14-1 in the NWC. The latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings for NCAA Div. III have Whitman at No. 14 nationally and No. 5 in the West Region.
Ly is the top-ranked singles player in the NWC. The latest ITA West Region rankings have Ly at No. 7 and Mam at No. 15. In doubles, Ly and Mam are ranked No. 13 in the region.
The Missionaries next play at the NWC Championship Tournament, slated for April 21-22 at the Yakima (Wash.) Tennis Club. Whitman won the NWC title two years ago and then lost the crown to Pacific Lutheran in a 4-3 decision at last spring's championship tournament.
Ly's first NWC Player of the Week honor this season came a month ago. Mam and Munday have also received the weekly conference honor this season.
Dave Holden, Whitman Sports Information, (509) 527-5902
Email: holden@whitman.edu