DENVER - Hawai'i's Dennis Lajola and Utah State's Brianna Harris have been named the Verizon Western Athletic Conference Tennis Players of the Week, respectively, for Feb. 21-27.
Lajola, a senior from ('Aiea O'ahu, Hawai'i (Isabella Colleges), went 2-1 in both singles and doubles action during the week, as the Rainbow Warriors went 1-2 against three teams in the top 65. Against No. 52 San Diego State, Lajola defeated Giovanni Vaglietti in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0, at the No. 1 spot. He was pushed in his victory over Benjamin Recknagle of No. 65 UC Santa Barbara, taking the match after dropping the first set, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Lajola's only loss on the week came at the hands of No. 34 ranked Dean Jackson of No. 42 San Diego, 7-6 (8), 7-5. Partnered with Jonathan Brooklyn, Lajola also recorded victories in doubles matches against SDSU's Tim Schulz van Endert and Andre Feliz, 8-6, and UCSB's Evan Jurgensen and Philip Therp, 8-3.
Harris, a junior from Calgary, Canada (Bishop Carroll), went 5-0 in singles play during the week, helping Utah State to a 3-1 record in the process. In the Aggies only loss, a 1-6 defeat to North Texas, Harris managed Utah State's lone point as she defeated Carolina Barboza, 6-3, 0-6, 6-2. Harris wouldn't drop a set in her next four matches, closing out her week with victories over Eastern Washington's Rocio Norena, 6-0, 6-2, Temple College's Valentina Kecman, 6-0, 6-0, Seminole College's Ashley Coleman, 6-0, 6-0, and Collin County Community College's Regan Perme, 6-0, 6-0.
Other male nominees included: Andy Bettles, Boise State; Remi Boutillier, Fresno State.
Other female nominees included: Sonia Klamczynska, Boise State; Melissa McQueen, Fresno State; Katarina Poljakova, Hawai'i.