SFA Doubles Team Lands Top-20 Ranking
2/16/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Feb. 16, 2012
SKILLMAN, N.J. - Following a year of historic firsts during the 2011 season, the Stephen F. Austin women's tennis team has landed another first under second-year head coach Patrick Sullivan. Senior Alina Shazhko and sophomore Jithmie Jayawickrema became the first SFA doubles team to earn a national ranking. The duo landed a top-20 nod ranked 17th overall according to the current ITA rankings released Thursday afternoon. Shazhko and Jayawickrema are the only Southland Conference doubles team to receive a nod in the current rankings.
"It's exciting to open the rankings up and see a doubles team that high," said Sullivan. "Alina and Jithmie are the two players on this team I have coached the longest and during the past two years we have worked very hard on doubles. It's rewarding as a coach to have had them buy into the system and feels good for all of us to see their hard work and commitment pay off."
The SFA duo has been a key element in the 'Jacks' 6-2 (.750) start to the 2012 season. Shazhko and Jayawickrema are a perfect 7-0 on the season, and have notched two wins over top-30 teams in the first month of the spring season.
The duo recorded their first top-30 win against Illinois' Chelcie Albajian and Bre Smutko with an 8-7 (7-5) decision last month. The Illini's doubles team was ranked No. 27 nationally. They followed that up with an 8-4 victory over the 21st-ranked team of Winde Janssens and Carla Manzi from Colorado.
The 'Jacks will place their 6-2 record on the line Sunday when they travel to Starkville, Miss., to take on Mississippi State. The Bulldogs enter the week with a 2-1 record, but face Louisiana-Monroe Thursday afternoon before hosting the 'Jacks.
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