Thursday, May 8, 2008

                                             

TUSCULUM WOMEN RANKED NO. 27 IN ITA TENNIS POLL

 

                SKILLMAN, N.J. --- The Tusculum College women’s tennis team has leaped 10 spots and is ranked No. 27 in the nation according to the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Division II Poll announced officials.  The No. 27 ranking is the second-best in school history.  Tusculum was listed No. 22 in the country during the 2003-04 campaign.

 

                The Pioneers (20-3) have won their last nine matches, including three straight to win the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament title.  Tusculum’s 20 wins are tied for the most in school history and the SAC Tournament championship is the program’s second.  With the tournament title, the Pioneers earned the league’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

 

                Tusculum will face ninth-ranked Rollins on Friday in the opening round of the NCAA Southeast Regional, held in Miami Shores, Fla. on the campus of Barry University.

 

                BYU Hawaii holds down the top spot in the poll, followed by Armstrong Atlantic State, Lynn Valdosta State and California (Pa.).  Abilene Christian is sixth, followed by Francis Marion, Barry, Rollins and Columbus State to round out the top 10.  Clayton State is 11th, followed by Nova Southeastern, Florida Southern, Georgia College & State, West Florida, Hawaii Pacific, Incarnate Word, Northwood, Delta State, Tarleton State, Hawaii-Hilo, Northeastern State, UC San Diego, Grand Valley State, Drury, Augusta State, Tusculum, Erskine, Slippery Rock, East Central, Northwest Missouri State, Saint Leo, Cameron, Southwest Baptist, Cal Poly-Pomona, USC Aiken, Cal State-Los Angeles, Limestone, North Alabama and Flagler.

 

                The ITA also released its Southeast Region poll and Tusculum has moved up one spot to sixth.  Lynn is first, followed by Barry, Rollins, Nova Southeastern, Florida Southern, Tusculum, Saint Leo, Flagler, Palm Beach Atlantic and Carson-Newman.

 

                The winner of Friday’s Tusculum/Rollins match will face either Barry or Saint Leo on Saturday.

 

                Tusculum is making their first NCAA postseason appearance in three years and sixth in the last eight.

 

- TC –

 

ITA Division II Women’s Tennis Top 40

Rk.

Team

Prv.

1

BYU-Hawaii

1

2

Armstrong Atlantic

2

3

Lynn

3

4

Valdosta State

4

5

California (Pa.)

5

6

Abilene Christian

6

7

Francis Marion

9

8

Barry

10

9

Rollins

7

10

Columbus State

12

11

Clayton State

8

12

Nova Southeastern

13

13

Florida Southern

14

14

Georgia College & State

15

15

West Florida

16

16

Hawaii Pacific

17

17

Incarnate Word

28

18

Northwood

18

19

Delta State

20

20

Tarleton State

22

21

Hawaii-Hilo

19

22

Northeastern State

11

23

UC San Diego

23

24

Grand Valley State

NR

25

Drury

21

26

Augusta State

26

27

TUSCULUM

37

28

Erskine

33

29

Slippery Rock

24

30

East Central

27

31

Northwest Missouri State

31

32

Saint Leo

34

33

Cameron

25

34

Southwest Baptist

NR

35

Cal Poly Pomona

32

36

USC Aiken

39

37

Cal State Los Angeles

35

38

Limestone

NR

39

North Alabama

36

40

Flagler

NR

ITA Southeast Region Top 10

Rk.

Team

Prv.

1

Lynn

1

2

Barry

4

3

Rollins

2

4

Nova Southeastern

3

5

Florida Southern

5

6

TUSCULUM

7

7

Saint Leo

6

8

Flagler

8

9

Palm Beach Atlantic

10

10

Carson-Newman

NR

Tusculum Opponents in Italics