Seasiders’ streak ends
at 130 in title match

History has a number: 130.

The Brigham Young-Hawaii women's tennis team saw its record consecutive dual-match winning streak end yesterday at 130. The top-ranked Seasiders (29-1) fell to Armstrong Atlantic State 5-3 in the NCAA Division II Championship final in Altamonte Springs, Fla., halting their title streak at three.

It was just the second loss in 235 matches for BYU-Hawaii since joining the NCAA in 1998-99. During the past eight years, the Seasiders have won six championships and placed second twice.

Their only other loss came in the 2001 championship to Lynn.

This was the third championship for the second-ranked Lady Pirates (30-0) from Georgia, who also won in 1995 and '96. Armstrong, which finished second to BYUH in 1999 and 2002, now assumes the longest winning streak in D-II women's tennis.

The teams split the first two doubles matches. The top-ranked team of Jing Jing Liu-Adrienn Hegedus from BYUH topped the fourth-ranked team of Luisa Cowper -Laura Peaty 8-5, and Armstrong's Manuela Emmrich-Caroline Grage upset Tetyana Bula-Petra Teller, 8-3.

Armstrong gained a 2-1 advantage after the No. 3 doubles contest when Dziyana Nazaruk-Johanna Dahlback topped BYUH's Gurianne Kornihona-Crystal Schwenke 8-3.

The Seasiders regained the lead at 3-2 with wins at Nos. 1 and 2 singles (Liu and Hegedus). But the Lady Pirates won the final three singles matches to finish off the victory, including two big upsets when the unranked Emmrich stunned No. 14 Teller 6-4, 6-0 and Dahlback, ranked 21st, knocked off the No. 7 Bula 6-3 6-1.