IRVINE, Calif.--University of Hawai'i women's tennis player Nikola Homolkova earned her first career Big West Player of the Week award on Wednesday. Homolkova helped lead Hawai'i to a pair of conference wins last week--including the match clinching win that ended a hard fought match vs. UC Santa Barbara. Overall she now has a 7-6 record but is undefeated at 4-0 in conference play.

Homolkova, a native of Pelhrimov, Czech Republic, has been on a roll, winning six of her last eight matches since sliding onto the No. 2 court. Last week, after dropping the first set against CSUN's Sasha Turckak, Homolkova battled her way back to edge out the Matador in three extremely tight sets, 6-7 (4), 7-5, 7-6 (6). On Sunday against UC Santa Barbara, the match hinged on the results of Homolkova's match vs. Camille Kiss as the two teams were knotted at 3-3. Homolkova, the sophomore transfer from Long Beach State, was down 1-2 in the third set, but then powered past Kiss, winning the final five games of the set to clinch the match for the Rainbow Wahine, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.

In doubles, Homolkova and partner Ana Vilcek split their matches last week. UH's No. 2 duo defeated CSUN's Vito Solis Urdiales and Jacqueline O'Neill, 6-3, but fell to UCSB's Marta Gozalez and Kiss, 6-2.

Homolkova joins Vilcek as the two Rainbow Wahine who have earned the Big West's weekly award this season. Vilcek garnered the honor on Feb. 22.

The Rainbow Wahine conclude their final homestand of 2023 with a busy, three-match week. UH will play Portland State on Wednesday, March 29 at 2:30 p.m., followed by Cal Poly on Thursday, March 30 at 2:30 p.m.. Saturday, April 1 is Senior Day as UH faces UC San Diego at 11:00 a.m.. Four Rainbow Wahine will be honored after Saturday's match--Madison Kim, Alexis Marrill, Rita Pinto, and Satsuki Takamura. All three matches will be played at the UH Tennis Complex.