Coaches Pick Lady Rebel Netters Second In SEC West

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Ole Miss was voted to finish second in the SEC Western Division standings by the league’s 12 women’s tennis coaches, as the SEC Preseason Women’s Tennis Poll was released Thursday afternoon by the conference office.

The Florida Gators were picked as the overall champion.  Last season, the Gators made it to the semifinals of the NCAA Championships before losing to eventual champion, Stanford. 

LSU was chosen to win the West.   Arkansas came in third with Auburn in the fourth spot.  Alabama and Mississippi State tied for fifth.  The Gators were also voted as Eastern Division Champion, with Vanderbilt second.   Georgia was picked third, South Carolina fourth, Tennessee fifth and Kentucky sixth.      

The preseason poll is voted on by the SEC Women’s Tennis Coaches and is based on a 6-5-4-3-2-1 count. The complete tally for the poll is below.

The Lady Rebels return five of the top six from a year ago and have added junior standout Elizabeth Wood. 

Leading the way for Ole Miss will be the lone senior, Ilona Somers, who earned All-SEC honors in 2006.  Also returning is last year’s SEC Freshman of the Year, Kseniia Tokarieva, who started out at No. 4 in the lineup and moved up to No. 1 by the end of the season.

            The Lady Rebels begin the season Jan. 26 against Arkansas-Little Rock.  First serve is 3 p.m., at the Gillom Sports Center.

2007 Women’s Tennis Coaches Preseason Poll

 Eastern Division

1. Florida 71

2. Vanderbilt 54

3. Georgia 49

4. South Carolina 33

5. Tennessee 23

6. Kentucky 22

Western Division

1. LSU 65

2. Ole Miss 55

3. Arkansas 48

4. Auburn 46

T5. Alabama 19

T5. Mississippi State 19

Overall Regular Season Champion: Florida

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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