Editor's note: The original version of this story incorrectly reported the start time of the OU-Wichita State women's tennis match. The article has been corrected.
OU’s women’s tennis team hosts Wichita State at 5 p.m. Sunday in the Gregg Wadley Indoor Tennis Pavilion after a strong fall campaign.
OU enters the spring season at No. 39, its highest preseason ranking since 2005 (No. 26).
The Sooners were not ranked in the top 75 at the start of last spring.
“Our preseason ranking shows how far we have come in a short time,” OU coach Dave Mullins said. “It is nice that we received recognition from coaches around the country.”
Mullins said he and the team understand preseason rankings mean very little once the season gets underway.
“It is a good starting point for us, but we hope to continue moving in the right direction in the next few months,” Mullins said.
Senior Ana-Maria Constantinescu and freshman Alice Radu are ranked 31st in the doubles preseason poll. The pair went 5-1 during the fall, winning the 2010 Central Region double championship Oct. 25 in Fayetteville, Ark.
At the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Indoor Championships in November, Constantinescu and Radu notched an 8-4 win over 58th-ranked Kristie Ahn and Nicole Gibbs of Stanford in the 16th round.
The OU duo’s only doubles loss came against top-ranked Mari Andersson and Jana Juricova of Cal, 9-7.
Wichita State started its season last weekend in the Florida Gulf Coast University Eagle Invitational in Fort Myers, Fla.
Highly touted freshmen Satjaporn Mahajaroenkul and Carla Venticinque made their debuts for the Shockers. The pair both dropped singles matches to No. 25 Illinois opponents and lost their doubles matches against Martina Rubesova and Andrea Nedrostova of Northwestern state, 9-8, and Anna Dushkina and Gisella Pere of Purdue, 8-3, in the consolations bracket.
“On the whole, it was a good weekend,” WSU coach Colin Foster said. “The doubles will improve. Carla and Satjaporn both showed some very good things in their matches. They have a strong base to build on and are excited to compete with the rest of the team next weekend at Oklahoma.”
After Wichita State, the Sooners compete in the ITA Indoor Kickoff Weekend starting Jan. 28 in Stanford, Calif. OU’s first opponent will be UNLV.
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Tank 1 year, 4 months ago
According to the Athletics website, the match begins at 5pm, not 2pm.