April 12, 2006

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - San Diego State senior Dita Hauerlandova has been named the Mountain West Conference women's tennis player of the week the league office announced Wednesday. The award is her first of the season and second of her career and comes after posting a perfect 6-0 combined singles and doubles record in SDSU's victories over Colorado State, Wyoming and Air Force.

Against the Rams, Hauerlandova posted her second win of the season against a ranked opponent when she defeated No. 121 Emily Kirchem at No. 1, 6-2, 5-7, 7-5. The win was Hauerlandova's 50th overall singles victory in her two-plus years on Montezuma Mesa. Earlier in the afternoon, she and Sisse Nielsen had no trouble with Anne Andersen and Kirchem at No. 1 doubles, posting an 8-2 win. SDSU won the match, 5-2.

The next day in the Aztecs' 6-1 victory over Wyoming, Hauerlandova and Nielsen cruised to an 8-1 win over Andrea House/Karolina Rowinski at No. 1 doubles to begin the day. Then in singles, Hauerlandova was first off the court to give the Aztecs a 2-0 lead with her 6-1, 6-2 performance over Rowinski at first singles.

Then in the weekend finale vs. Air Force, Hauerlandova and Nielsen won a hard-fought battle against the Falcon's Kat Bushey/Christine Abayan at No. 1 doubles, 9-7. Later in singles action, Hauerlandova clinched the match for SDSU when she beat Bushey, 6-2, 6-2, at No. 1 singles. The Aztecs wound up pocketing a 5-2 win for its third straight victory.

Hauerlandova, ranked No. 84 in the latest ITA singles poll, is currently riding a season-long three-match winning streak and is 10-10 on the season, all at No. 1 singles. Against ranked opposition, she is 2-1 in her last three meetings. Meanwhile in doubles, she and Nielsen have won a season-best five straight and are 13-6 overall at No. 1. The two are also 1-1 against ranked doubles tandems.

The Prague, Czech Republic, native is the second Aztec to win the league's weekly award this season joining Alesya Vidov, who earned the honor on March 9.

With its three victories, San Diego State has jumped out to a 5-1 conference start and is 14-6 overall. The 33rd-ranked Aztecs will be back in action Friday, April 14, when they play No. 48 New Mexico in Albuquerque at 2 p.m. MDT.