University of Memphis Athletics
Photo by: Lance Murphey
Men’s Tennis Earns Highest Team Ranking in School History
Feb 23, 2016 | Men's Tennis
Tigers jump to number 17 in latest ITA rankings.
ITA Team Rankings | ITA Singles Rankings | ITA Doubles Rankings
MEMPHIS – The latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) men's tennis national polls have contained the words 'University of Memphis' for every ranking released since Jan. 17th of 2012. Prior to that week, a team of mostly Tiger underclassmen won at No. 13 Tennessee, 4-3, and vaulted in to the national rankings, and there the team has stayed ever since. What was different in the ITA rankings released, Tuesday, is the Tiger men's tennis team is ranked at No. 17, the highest Memphis has been ranked in program history. After a 4-1 road win at No. 19 Ole Miss on Sunday, Memphis jumped up from No. 28 to No. 17 in the latest polls. The previous high for a Tiger team was #18, achieved by the Tiger team that advanced to the NCAA Second Round in 2014.
That team ranking faces a stiff test in the coming weeks though, as Memphis is facing five straight ranked opponents on the road, beginning with a Thursday contest at conference foe SMU (now ranked No. 60). Memphis then plays at Baylor, who at one point ranked No. 4 in the country, but are currently ranked No. 34, on Saturday. Memphis finishes the Texas/Oklahoma swing at No. 8 ranked Oklahoma, Monday. After that trip, the Tigers will go to New Orleans to face Tulane, a team that currently ranks No. 33 in the country and is led by the country's top ranked singles player, Dominik Koepfer.
Making the team ranking more impressive for Memphis is, in addition to its composition of one junior, four sophomores and four freshmen, is that just one Tiger is ranked in singles play. Sophomore Ryan Peniston is 7-0 in dual season singles and is ranked No. 58 in the country. He and freshman Felix Rauch came back from 4-0 down at number two doubles to clinch the point on the road in the Ole Miss with a 7-6 (3) victory and then Peniston scored the second point of the match with a straight set win at two singles.
Memphis plays at SMU, Saturday, at 2 p.m. in Dallas. The match on Saturday at Baylor will have live streaming video (http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-tennis/live-stats-video.html) and will begin at 5 p.m. CT.
MEMPHIS – The latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) men's tennis national polls have contained the words 'University of Memphis' for every ranking released since Jan. 17th of 2012. Prior to that week, a team of mostly Tiger underclassmen won at No. 13 Tennessee, 4-3, and vaulted in to the national rankings, and there the team has stayed ever since. What was different in the ITA rankings released, Tuesday, is the Tiger men's tennis team is ranked at No. 17, the highest Memphis has been ranked in program history. After a 4-1 road win at No. 19 Ole Miss on Sunday, Memphis jumped up from No. 28 to No. 17 in the latest polls. The previous high for a Tiger team was #18, achieved by the Tiger team that advanced to the NCAA Second Round in 2014.
That team ranking faces a stiff test in the coming weeks though, as Memphis is facing five straight ranked opponents on the road, beginning with a Thursday contest at conference foe SMU (now ranked No. 60). Memphis then plays at Baylor, who at one point ranked No. 4 in the country, but are currently ranked No. 34, on Saturday. Memphis finishes the Texas/Oklahoma swing at No. 8 ranked Oklahoma, Monday. After that trip, the Tigers will go to New Orleans to face Tulane, a team that currently ranks No. 33 in the country and is led by the country's top ranked singles player, Dominik Koepfer.
Making the team ranking more impressive for Memphis is, in addition to its composition of one junior, four sophomores and four freshmen, is that just one Tiger is ranked in singles play. Sophomore Ryan Peniston is 7-0 in dual season singles and is ranked No. 58 in the country. He and freshman Felix Rauch came back from 4-0 down at number two doubles to clinch the point on the road in the Ole Miss with a 7-6 (3) victory and then Peniston scored the second point of the match with a straight set win at two singles.
Memphis plays at SMU, Saturday, at 2 p.m. in Dallas. The match on Saturday at Baylor will have live streaming video (http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-tennis/live-stats-video.html) and will begin at 5 p.m. CT.
Players Mentioned
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