The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebel Netters Preseason Top 10
1/5/2010 | Men's Tennis
OXFORD, Miss. - The Ole Miss men's tennis team begins the 2010 season ranked No. 10 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) preseason rankings released Tuesday.
"We are very excited about the spring season," head coach Billy Chadwick said. "It is not easy losing the NCAA singles champion to the pros and graduating two All-Americans. Our players have shown that they have accepted the challenge, and this ranking reflects their outstanding play this past fall."
The Rebels are coming off one of the best seasons in the history of the program in 2009, as they captured the SEC Championship with an undefeated 11-0 record, the SEC Tournament Championship, advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight and brought home the NCAA singles title.
Ole Miss is one of three teams from the nation's toughest conference (SEC) to be ranked in the top 10. Tennessee is ranked No. 5, followed by Georgia at No. 7. A total of seven SEC teams are in the Top 25. Leading off the rankings this year is defending NCAA Champion, Southern California. Virginia, Ohio State, UCLA and Tennessee round out the top five, followed by Baylor, Georgia, Texas, Stanford and Ole Miss.
In the individual rankings, junior Tucker Vorster is ranked No. 40 in singles. The Pretoria, South Africa native had an outstanding fall finishing with a 13-2 record and reaching the semifinals at the ITA South Regional. Vorster is also ranked in doubles with two different partners.
Sophomore Marcel Thiemann made his debut in the national rankings, coming in at No. 61. He posted an 8-3 record in the fall.
The Rebels begin the 2010 season Jan. 15-18 at the SEC Indoor Championships in Atlanta, Ga. Following that, Ole Miss will square off with Mississippi State in the annual River Hills Mississippi Cup Jan. 25 in Jackson, Miss. The first home match for the Rebels will be on Jan. 30 against Columbia, as they host the second annual ITA Kick-off Weekend.
