The University of Mississippi Athletics
Men's Tennis Ends Year No. 5 In Nation
6/7/2004 | Men's Tennis
June 7, 2004
OXFORD, Miss. - The Ole Miss men's tennis team ended a championship season ranked No. 5 in the nation in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association national rankings, marking the 10th time in the last 11 years to be among the final top 10, with five top five finishes.
In a year where all 12 teams made the NCAA Championships, the Rebels captured the SEC Championship, their third overall SEC title in the last eight years. They also won the SEC Western Division for the third consecutive year and improved to 15-0 against the West since the league went to divisions in 2002.
The Rebels advanced to the SEC Tournament final and hosted an NCAA regional for the fifth time in six years. Earning its 11th straight NCAA appearance, Ole Miss posted a record of 21-5, marking the program's sixth 20-win season.
Individually, head coach Billy Chadwick was named the SEC Coach of the Year, and All-American Catalin Gard was named the SEC Player of the Year. Three Rebels were named to the All-SEC team.
The Rebels began the year by reaching the final four at the USTA/ITA National Team Indoor, defeating the eventual NCAA Champion, Baylor. Ole Miss went undefeated from that point through the month of March. During that time they had a season high ranking of No. 2 in the nation. The Rebels posted a 12-0 record at home during the regular season.
"This team will be remembered as one of the best in the rich history of Ole Miss sports, winning our third straight SEC West Championship and being crowned the overall SEC Champion," Chadwick said.
Baylor claimed the top spot in the final national rankings by winning the NCAA title. Illinois, UCLA, Southern California and Ole Miss round out the top five, followed by Georgia, Stanford, Florida, Duke and Virginia. The SEC led the nation with 10 teams in the top 30.
