University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Fifth in ITA Tennis Poll
March 04, 2009 | Men's Tennis
March 4, 2009
The Tennessee men's tennis team moved up three spots to fifth Wednesday in the newest ITA poll. This is the first poll of the season that uses a computer point-per-match formula. All the previous rankings had been based on coaches' ballots.
The Vols (7-2) are the second highest ranked SEC team in the poll behind fourth-ranked Georgia. Four of Tennessee's victories this season are against teams currently ranked in the top-16 of the poll. The only losses for the Big Orange are to second-ranked Virginia and 11th-ranked Kentucky.
Stanford is the new No. 1 ranked team in the country, followed by Virginia and Ohio State is third. Ohio State was the preseason No. 1 team in the country and the Vols knocked off the then No. 1 Buckeyes 4-3 in Chicago at the ITA Indoor Championships.
The new doubles rankings saw Davey Sandgren and John-Patrick Smith go from unranked to the No. 9 team in the country. UT's top duo won the SEC Indoor Championships earlier this season and are 16-6 for the 2008-09 season, including a 10-2 mark in 2009 alone.
Smith moved down one spot to 10th in the new singles poll. The UT sophomore is 18-7 on the season and 4-2 in dual-match play at the No. 1 position in the lineup.
Boris Conkic is 38th in the singles poll. The Serbia native has a 15-6 singles record playing against one of the toughest individual slates of any netter in the country. Eleven of his matches have been against ranked opponents.
The Big Orange begin SEC play this weekend when they travel to the Magnolia State for a pair of matches. On Friday, UT faces Mississippi State at 3 p.m. CT and Sunday plays at 10th-ranked Ole Miss at 1 p.m. CT.
