.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
The University of Mississippi Athletics
Lady Rebel Netters No. 36 In Preseason National Rankings
1/10/2006 | Women's Tennis
Jan. 10, 2006
OXFORD, Miss. - The Ole Miss women's tennis team will begin the 2006 season ranked No. 36 in the preseason Fila Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) national team rankings, released Tuesday. The Lady Rebels also had two players and two doubles' teams earn national rankings.
The SEC boasts three teams in the top 10. Defending NCAA Champion Stanford headlines the top 10 followed by Florida, Texas, Georgia Tech, Southern Cal, Northwestern, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Baylor and Miami. Overall, the SEC had six teams in the top 25.
The Lady Rebels won their first ever SEC West title in 2005, and made their 11th NCAA appearance. They return five of the top six from last year's squad and have added two talented newcomers.
"This ranking is just a start," head coach Mark Beyers said. "We are going to have to go out and win matches to try and improve on this ranking. This will be a good motivating factor for our team to prove themselves.
"The individual rankings mean a little more because they are already based on results from the fall. We are excited for Vicki (Tomatis) to be in the rankings. She's worked hard for this. We are also happy to have two teams in the top 50 in doubles.
Virginia Tomatis, the lone senior on the squad, earned her first ever national ranking in singles at No. 89, after being nationally-ranked in doubles the last three years. She posted a 10-6 record in the fall.
Junior Ilona Somers is ranked No. 100 in singles after going 8-4 in the fall and claiming the Ole Miss Fall Classic.
Tomatis, a two-time All-SEC selection in doubles, teamed with Ilona Somers to move up to No. 14 in the doubles rankings. The pair finished the fall with a 9-4 record, including capturing the Ole Miss Fall Classic and reaching the semifinals at the SEC Coaches Classic.
The Russian pair of sophomore Nika Koukhartchouk and freshman Kseniia Tokarieva are ranked No. 47 in doubles.
The Lady Rebels open the season Jan. 28 at home against Tennessee-Chattanooga.
