'Jacks Climb in Polls
3/7/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
March 7, 2012
The Stephen F. Austin women's tennis team made a huge jump in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) national poll released Tuesday afternoon, climbing to No. 35. SFA is the only Southland Conference school appearing in the national rankings.
"To tell you that Stephanie (Wooten) and I weren't excited to see that rank next to our name would just be a lie," said head coach Patrick Sullivan. "We have logged a lot of hours and a lot of miles to get to this point and it's huge for our program in all aspects. The great thing about this team is all but one girl is playing their first year of Division I tennis.
"Maybe the only person who appreciates this more than I do is Alina (Shazhko), and I am especially happy for her. She's an outstanding kid and without her contributions on and off the court, this never happens. To go from being on a team that was happy just to advance to the conference tournament to being on the highest ranked team in the history of the conference is pretty special," added Sullivan.
SFA has been on a roll lately winning nine straight matches, equaling a program record for win streak set last season. The 'Jacks have secured wins over two nationally ranked programs during that stretch, and have outscored its opponents 54-8, including four shutouts. The 'Jacks only losses of the season have come to ranked teams, including top-10 Baylor.
"The tough part now is not getting caught up in the moment and understanding that we still have the most important part of our season ahead of us," said Sullivan. "We have to turn right around and face two conference opponents in our home opener knowing that we're going to get everyone's best shot the rest of the way. This is a special group and I'm confident they're up to the task."
The 'Jacks will open the home portion of their schedule Saturday with an 11 a.m. match against McNeese State. SFA is currently 11-2 on the season, and a perfect 3-0 in conference play.
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