IRVINE, Calif.—University of Hawai’i men’s tennis player Andre Ilagan was one of eight outstanding student-athletes across The Big West to receive the conference’s annual Service and Leadership Award. The Big West has celebrated student-athletes with the Service and Leadership Award annually, since the 2017-18 academic year. The award winners are selected at the discretion of each member-institution with criteria encompassing service, leadership and academics.
As a graduate student at Hawai’i, Ilagan wrapped up his outstanding career as the most decorated player in UH men’s tennis history. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance in the spring of 2022, and currently is pursuing a master’s degree from UH. Ilagan served the community working with Lokahi Tennis, a non-profit organization based on the Windward side on the island of O’ahu. Lokahi’s mission is to grow and cultivate the sport of tennis while focusing on serving the community. Ilagan’s leadership skills were on display throughout his career and most notably as the team captain during 2022-23 with a relentless growth mindset.
In 2023, Ilagan became the first Rainbow Warrior to ever earn ITA All-America honors after advancing to the Round of 16 in the most recent NCAA Championship tournament. Ilagan was named Big West’s Player of the Year and won UH’s Jack Bonham Award (UH’s highest student-athlete honor) in 2022. He represented the Big West in the last two NCAA tournaments and was voted to the All-Big West first team all four years.
Each member-institution may submit one honoree per academic year who participated in a Big West sponsored sport and who engages consistently in service and leadership activities that impact the campus, community or regional levels. The awardee makes the most of opportunities presented to them by taking on key roles and is innovative in seeking out meaningful service and leadership opportunities, while keeping their academic eligibility on their respective team.
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