For the second year in a row, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women’s tennis team earned a regional ranking from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The Mocs finished the 2015 campaign at No. 8 in the Ohio Valley region, according to the poll released this week. That is one spot up from the No. 9 ranking the team earned at the end of the 2014 season.
“I am very proud of this team for earning an Ohio Valley regional ranking,” stated head coach Jeff Clark.
“The Ohio Valley is full of tough competition, including NCAA Champion Vanderbilt. To show that we are one of the top teams in this region is something that our student-athletes take pride in.”
UTC finished with an 18-4 overall record and second place in the Southern Conference at 5-1. It was the Mocs’ best showing in the regular season league race since 1992. It was also the third consecutive year the program tallied 18 wins.
Two of UTC’s regular season losses were to ranked opponents, No. 31 Tennessee (4-3 on Feb. 22) and No. 65 MTSU (5-2 on March 4). Chattanooga did snap a 24-match losing streak to Furman with its first win over the Paladins since 1997.
Individually, rising senior Kayla Jones was a first team All-SoCon pick in singles. Her 22-8 record at the top spot gave her a No. 18 listing in the ITA’s year-end Ohio Valley singles rankings.
“I am really, really pleased for Kayla,” added Clark. “She had an outstanding season, especially the last month when she was almost unbeatable. Hopefully this is a great springboard for even better things heading into her senior year.”
Jones teamed with Samantha Caswell for a 20-5 doubles record and a spot on the All-SoCon second team. Caswell was named the SoCon Freshman of the Year after posting a 21-8 record at No. 4. Caswell and Jones are two of four starters returning for the Mocs in 2016.