Carolina Ranked at No. 13 in ITA Poll

TEMPE, Ariz. – The South Carolina women’s tennis team is ranked at No. 13 in the first Oracle Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) team poll of the 2018-19 season as announced Wednesday afternoon.
 
The No. 13 ranking is the highest for Carolina since the 1999-00 team began the season at the same spot. South Carolina’s ranking follows a second-consecutive trip to the Sweet Sixteen at the NCAA Tournament and a 21-7 record. The Gamecocks finished 12th in 2017-18, the highest since the 1998-99 team also closed out the year at 12th.
 
“It’s nice to be recognized from last year’s accomplishments,” head coach Kevin Epley said. “Still, we all know it’s a new year and a new ranking with zero 2019 match play behind it. We are going to focus on our team and each match and involve ourselves with the rankings as they gain more meaning later in the season.”
 
Carolina is joined by five other SEC schools in the top-25, including Vanderbilt (2), Georgia (5), Florida (11), Ole Miss (12) and Auburn (25).
 
The Gamecocks kick off their season competing in the first-ever dual match to be played at one of the four professional Grand Slam events when they face off against Southern Cal at the Australian Open. The USC vs. USC battle takes place on Tuesday, Jan. 22 and will count towards both teams’ Oracle ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings and overall won-loss record for the 2019 season.
 
For more information on the Gamecocks, continue to check back with gamecocksonline.com or follow along on social media (@GamecockWTennis).