ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – Bard College first-year Essa Kyaw was named the Liberty League Rookie of the Week on Monday afternoon by the league office. 

Kyaw won her first collegiate match at ladder six against Vassar. Her win was also the tiebreaker that helped Bard win against Vassar for their season opener. Kyaw defeated her opponent, Ariadni Markantonaki Kouletaki, 11-4, 11-7, 11-2. 

In her second match of the Round Robin, Kyaw went up two ladders and was at ladder four against Northeastern. Although she fell to her opponent, Kyaw fought hard and won 3+ points in each game, with the final score of 11-5, 11-5, and 11-3. 

Kyaw is the first ever Raptor to have been named Liberty League Rookie of the Week on the women's side. For the men's and women's programs, Kyaw joins Artemy Mukhin and Martin Graham as the only Raptors to have been honored with the award.