May 8, 2002

LAS VEGAS - Both UNLV women's tennis coaches have been honored for putting together one of the nation's top programs this season, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association announced Wednesday.

Kevin Cory, who already won Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year honors for the second time in three seasons, has been named the 2002 ITA West Region Head Coach of the Year.

Cory, who is in his third season at the school, will lead his 18th-ranked Lady Rebel squad into an NCAA Championship first-round match vs. Oregon on Saturday in Los Angeles.

The California native is no stranger to ITA recognition as he was the 1998 National Assistant Coach of the Year while working at Ole Miss as well as 1999's regional selection as an assistant for the Rebels of the Southeastern Conference.

UNLV, which is 20-3, won its second league title last weekend and has set a school record by being ranked in the nation's top 20 for seven consecutive weeks.

Also honored was third-year staffer Owen Hambrook who was tabbed ITA West Region Assistant Coach of the Year.

"Owen has done an outstanding job here and we feel fortunate to have him part of our program," Cory said. "These are great honors considering we compete in the same region as powers such USC, UCLA and Arizona State, but as long as the team is doing well, individual awards like this will come."

The only other time UNLV women's coaches took home such honors was in 1997 when then-head coach Ola Malmqvist and his assistant Douglas Geiwald won their respective awards.

Cory and Hambrook will now be considered for the national awards along with the winners from the other seven regions.