It was announced late last week that sophomore Sarah Ikioka (Wailuku, HI) of the University of Redlands was tabbed the 2018 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) West Region Player to Watch for NCAA Division III women's tennis.
Ikioka follows in the footsteps of Natalie Etchegary '16, who received this award in her third season with the Bulldogs.
This year, Ikioka has posted a 17-7 singles record at the top of the lineup for the 26th-ranked Redlands women's tennis team. During her stellar campaign, she knocked off counterparts from seven, top-40 teams and put together a six-match win streak late in the season.
In addition, Ikioka joins forces with junior Elizabeth Johnson (Portland, OR) as an impressive doubles tandem at the No. 1 slot for the Bulldogs. They own an overall record of 20-8, including nine victories against duos from ranked teams.
Earlier this season, Ikioka repeated as a member of the All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) First Team.
Ikioka looks forward to competing in singles and doubles with Johnson for the second year in a row at the NCAA Division III Individual Championships, which take place on May 24-26 in Claremont. Last season, the duo advanced to the semifinal round to earn ITA All-America honors.
For a complete list of the ITA's award recipients, please visit the organization's website.