The position marks back-to-back seasons the Lady Vols have begun the year ranked, the first time they have done so under head coach Alison Ojeda. The 24th-ranking also picks up the same place the squad finished a season ago after falling in the regional to sixth-seeded NC State.
The rankings, which are voted on by a committee of 12 regional chairs, feature eight teams currently on the Lady Vols’ schedule, four being Southeastern Conference foes and four being non-conference opponents.
Tennessee kicks off dual season three weeks from Friday at ITA Kickoff Weekend in Columbus, Ohio where it will face a Wake Forest team that is receiving votes in the poll. The tournament hosts, Ohio State, check in at No. 17 on the charts.
The Lady Vols have one more individual event before kicking off the dual year as they travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for the Michigan Invitational on Jan. 13-15.
The full ITA Preseason Top 25 Coaches Poll sponsored by Tennis-Point can be found below:
1. Texas (7)
2. North Carolina (5)
3. NC State
4. Oklahoma
5. Texas A&M
6. Duke
7. Virginia
t8. Georgia
t8. Stanford
10. Pepperdine
11. Miami (FL)
12. Cal
13. Oklahoma State
14. Southern Cal
15. Auburn
16. UCLA
17. Ohio State
18. Florida
19. Arizona State
t20. Michigan
t20. Vanderbilt
22. Iowa State
23. UCF
24. Tennessee
25. Georgia Tech
Receiving Votes: Baylor, Kansas, San Diego, Texas Tech, UCSB, Wake Forest
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