Jan. 5, 2010
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico men’s tennis team opens the 2010 season with a No. 49 ranking as announced today by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).
The Lobos finished 2009 ranked 46th in the nation after winning 20 matches for the second season in a row, capturing the Mountain West Conference championship, and earning their first NCAA team tournament bid since 2004.
Of the Lobos’ 21 opponents, 15 also appear in the ITA top 75 rankings with 10 holding a better ranking than the Lobos entering the dual season. In just the second match of the season, UNM will meet third-ranked Ohio State, runner-up in the NCAA Championship last season. In addition, six of the seven Mountain West Conference men’s teams are ranked.
UNM opens play on Jan. 23, hosting No. 58 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 5 p.m. The Lobos, who went 20-6 in 2009, lost three seniors and have just one upperclassmen on this year’s squad.