April 26, 2001

FORT COLLINS, Colo. - UNLV's Agnieszka Abram was named the 2001 Mountain West Conference Women's Tennis Freshman of the Year as part of the league's annual awards announced Thursday.

Abram, a native of Warsaw, Poland, went 15-13 overall playing at the No. 2 singles position during the regular season, including a 5-2 mark vs. league opponents. After a fall season that was highlighted by making the semifinals of the ITA Regional Tournament, Abram reached a career-high national ranking of No. 39.

Abram also was named First Team All-Mountain West Conference in singles along with teammate Paulina Janus.

Also a native of Warsaw, Janus was a highly touted sophomore transfer from Azusa Pacific who set up shop at the Lady Rebels' top position and did not disappoint. Competing during just the spring season, Janus went 13-7, including winning seven of her last eight. During the past month, the two-time MWC Player of the Week upset the Nos. 33 and 37 players in the country to earn a current national ranking of 68.

Janus and Abram also were the team's only representatives on the all-conference doubles team. The duo, which began playing No. 1 together in mid-February, went 8-6 and in March upset the league's highest-ranked tandem from BYU.

Janus, who went 6-1 vs. MWC competition, was edged out for the league's player of the year honor by BYU senior Jodi Richardson, who helped her team go undefeated in conference play. The 2001 MWC Coach of the Year will be announced at the conclusion of this week's league championships.

2001 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TENNIS TEAM
SINGLES
NAME                    CL      SCHOOL
Brooke Parsons          Jr.     Air ForceLu Oswald               Sr.     BYUDomonique Reynolds      So.     BYU*Jodi Richardson        Sr.     BYU*Natalia Alekhova       Sr.     New MexicoPaulina Janus           So.     UNLVAgnieszka Abram       Fr.     UNLVLindsay Hedberg         So.     San Diego State*Katja Karrento         So.     San Diego StateSilvia Tornier          So.     San Diego State*Whitney Wells          Sr.     San Diego StateJenny Bowman            Fr.     Wyoming

*Two-time All-MWC performers
DOUBLES
NAMES                           SCHOOLJodi Richardson/Brooke Ferney           BYUDomonique Reynolds/Lya Khoudoiarova BYUCourtney Choate/Sandy Lukowski          New MexicoSilvia Tornier/Lindsay Hedberg          San Diego StateWhitney Wells/Julie Chidley             San Diego StatePaulina Janus/Agnieszka Abram           UNLV