May 1, 2008

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Sophomore Francine Whu (Staten Island, N.Y.) earned 2008 America East Women's Player of the Year honors, as announced by the conference on Thursday. Joining her on the All-America East First Team are freshman Vanessa Steiner (Pittsburgh, Pa.), junior Cori Lefkowith (Clayton, Mo.), sophomore Elizabeth Corrao (Holden, Mass.) and junior Danielle Abraham (Waukesha, Wis.). Junior Yana Sadovskaya (Riga, Latvia) garnered second-team honors.

Doubles partners Whu and Steiner and Lefkowith and Abraham each made the second team for doubles. Whu and Steiner have a 14-13 record, while Abraham and Lefkowith have a 17-12 mark, including 11-7 at second doubles.

Lefkowith and Sadovskaya are three-time all-conference honorees, while Whu, Abraham and Corrao have twice received league distinction. It is Steiner's first America East honor.

Whu, the 2008 America East tournament Most Outstanding Performer, led BU to its 15th straight conference crown with a pair of victories at first singles and a first doubles win. She has a 15-11 singles mark and is on a four-match win streak going into the NCAA tournament.

Steiner made an impact in her rookie campaign. She had a stellar fall, ending the season with a 7-2 singles record, and the Pennsylvania native has a 15-11 overall singles mark. Lefkowith goes into the NCAAs on a five-match tear with a 17-11 singles mark -best on the team - after playing at the third and fourth spots all spring. She is a perfect 9-0 in the fourth slot.

Corrao played mainly fifth singles and has a 15-12 mark there, going 7-3 in the fifth spot. Abraham also has a current five-match streak going and a 17-13 overall singles mark. She, Lefkowith and Whu were 2-0 in the America East tournament.

Boston University has drawn #4 Stanford in the first round of the 2008 NCAA women's tennis championships. The Terriers will face the Cardinal at 1 p.m. PT on Friday, May 9 in Stanford, Calif. at the Taube Family Tennis Center.