UM Women's Tennis Ranked Ninth in latest ITA Poll
April 26, 2005
CORAL GABLES, <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Fla. – The University of Miami women’s tennis team heads into the post season ranked ninth in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) team poll that was released Tuesday morning. <?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
The Hurricanes posted their second-consecutive 20 win season when they closed the regular season with a 20-4 record.
Miami finished with a 9-1 record in their inaugural season in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Hurricanes ended their 2005 home slate riding a 26-match home winning streak that dated back to the 2004 campaign where they finished with a 14-0 record. This season, UM was 12-0 when playing within the confines of the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
Most recently, the Hurricanes reached the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championship final in only their first year in the league. In the quarterfinals, the Hurricanes defeated Duke, 4-1 then downed Clemson, 4-3, in the semifinals to advance to the final where they fell to Georgia Tech, 4-3. Duke is ranked 16th in the latest ITA poll behind Clemson, who is ranked 12th. Georgia Tech, shot up to fourth after claiming the ACC Championship.
Senior Megan Bradley, the ACC Player of the Year, remained the nation’s No. 1 ranked player for the eighth consecutive week in the ITA singles rankings. Bradley, who went 3-0 in singles play last weekend, extended her unbeaten streak to 37 matches while improving her record to 23-0 in dual match play. The Columbia, Mo. native is UM’s all-time single season win leader with a 42-1 overall record.
Bradley and sophomore Audrey Banada were ranked fourth in the ITA doubles rankings. The duo has been ranked as high as second this season and have compiled a 16-1 record in dual-match play and are 25-2 overall.
Banada is also ranked 24th in doubles with junior Melissa Applebaum. The duo has posted a 4-1 record from the No. 1 position, which includes an 8-6 upset win over Clemson’s 13th-ranked Julie Coin/Alix Lacelarie pair.
Sophomore Emily Mowery, ranked 117th, is the only other UM player to receive a singles ranking by the ITA. Mowery has compiled a 13-5 dual-match record and is 24-7 overall.
The Hurricanes will now await a bid to host an NCAA Regional. The announcement will be made in the afternoon on Wednesday, May 4th.
