Lady Vols Picked to Tie for Sixth in SEC Preseason Poll

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – As the spring dual season kicks off, the Southeastern Conference released the women’s tennis coaches’ preseason poll Thursday morning, with the Lady Volunteers picked to finish sixth, tied with South Carolina at 119 points.

Tennessee (2-0) concluded the 2023 season third in the SEC standings after finishing the season 11-2 in league play. The Lady Volunteers, under the direction of head coach Alison Ojeda, earned their best conference record in program history. The team reached the semifinals of the SEC tournament before falling to No. 1 Texas A&M.

Throughout the 2023 season, the Big Orange recorded three SEC Player of the Week honorees in Daria Kuczer, Rebeka Mertena and Elza Tomase. The program also saw its highest ITA since 2010 as it concluded the season ranked at No. 14.

In total, the conference has six teams ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Preseason Top 25 Coaches Poll, tied with the Atlantic Coast Conference for the most of any league.

 

2024 SEC Women’s Tennis Coaches’ Preseason Poll

Team                              Points

1. Texas A&M                   189

2. Georgia                         187

3. Florida                           160

4. Auburn                           155

5. Vanderbilt                      143

6. South Carolina              119

    Tennessee                     119

8. LSU                                  93

9. Arkansas                         76

10. Ole Miss                        74

11. Alabama                        64

12. Kentucky                       44

13. Mississippi State          29

14. Missouri                        17