EDITORIAL : MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING; CSUN VOLLEYBALL STAR NANCY MA IS CLEARED OF CHEATING.

TEMPEST in a teapot.

That's the real story behind charges that Nancy Ma, star player on California State University, Northridge's volleyball team, cheated on tests and had her roommate complete work for her.

On Friday, Northridge President Blenda Wilson issued the results of an investigation that exonerated Ma and the women's volleyball coaches, who allegedly encouraged other students to cheat for Ma.

Sadly, the story does not end here. Ma, a junior from China who speaks limited English, is considering leaving CSUN following the overblown, overhyped allegations by some that she cheated.

That is not to say college officials should have ignored the allegations made by former CSUN volleyball player Nicki Midwin, who charged that she did schoolwork for Ma. Midwin also has claimed she was asked to do the work by coach Lian Lu, with assistant coach Kathleen O'Laughlin's knowledge.

Wilson and Judith Brame, senior associate athletic director, conducted a professional and thorough investigation that found no evidence of cheating.

In fact, the investigation found that Ma's roommate, who supposedly took a psychology midterm exam for Ma, was in another class at the time of Ma's test.

Unfortunately, unsubstantiated charges of cheating by one student were treated as a major scandal on the order of point shaving, using drugs or committing perjury before Kenneth Starr.

The university was hurt and a visiting student from China suffered a terrible and frightening experience from charges that were unfounded.

We hope this closes this matter unless some new and more substantive information is brought forward. And we encourage Ma to give the university and the San Fernando Valley area community another chance.