Mar 11, 2008

AASU Men's Tennis Ranked No. 1 In NCAA Division II

SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Armstrong Atlantic State men’s tennis has ascended to the top of the ITA Division II Men's Tennis rankings, earning the program its first-ever No. 1 national ranking.

The Pirates are a perfect 12-0 on the season and ascended to the top spot thanks to wins over previously-ranked No. 1 Lynn and No. 2 Valdosta State. In the new rankings, Valdosta State maintains its hold on the No. 2 spot, while Lynn drops down to No. 3 and West Florida slides to No. 4, the previous spot in which the Pirates appeared. Future AASU opponent Drury occupies the No. 5 spot.

The Pirates become the fifth AASU athletics program to achieve a top national ranking, and they are the first team since the AASU women's tennis team was No. 1 during the 2006 season to be top-ranked. The softball squad was ranked No. 1 on April 26, 2000; the baseball team has been No. 1 in the Collegiate Baseball Division II Top 25 numerous times in five different seasons, including finishing the 1989 and 1990 seasons ranked at the top and the men's basketball team ascended to the top of the NCAA Division II rankings during the 1978-79 and 1979-80 seasons.

Prior to today's ranking, the previous high ranking for the AASU men's tennis team has been No. 2, most recently achieved last season in the March 9 rankings.

In the women's team rankings also released today, the Lady Pirates maintained their No. 2 ranking behind top-ranked BYU-Hawaii. AASU is an unbeaten 11-0 this season and has won 101 consecutive regular season matches dating back to 2003.