Jan. 11, 2006
The new rankings for the 2006 season for women’s tennis are in and the lady Lobos grabbed No. 48 in the nation according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association polls released Monday. The team ranking is the first of 16 rankings the ITA will release throughout the season.
In the individual rankings Maja Kovacek makes history at UNM and has another personal best at the No. 20 position. This is New Mexico’s first ever singles ranking in the top 20. Kovacek started off in preseason rankings at No. 30.
Junior Iva Gersic joins Kovacek in the national rankings at her personal best as the 45th-nationally ranked player.
The duo of Kovacek and Gersic has combined to create an explosive doubles team. The ITA recognized their talents as a team an honored them with a No. 3 ranking in the nation this season. They just beat out their own personal best of No. 4 from last season making this the highest ranking the women’s tennis team has ever seen.
The individual rankings are the first of nine rankings to be released throughout the season.
There are five teams in the Mountain West Conference that are ranked in the top 50 this season. The new addition to the MWC, TCU, is ranked No. 14 while BYU is No. 21. UNLV is at No. 41 with SDSU coming in right before UNM at No. 47.
Last year the team began the season at No. 24 in the nation and ended at No. 50. The highest ranking New Mexico has ever received was No. 21 in their 2004 season.