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Jan. 13, 2005
CHARLOTTESVILLE – The Virginia men’s tennis team will open a season ranked in the top ten for the first time in school history, as the Cavaliers were No. 10 in the preseason rankings announced by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
The Cavaliers set a school record with five players ranked in the ITA singles rankings, marking the first time the school has ever had more than two ranked players at a time. Among the five Cavaliers ranked, three were ranked among the nation’s top 40 players. Third-year Doug Stewart (Malibu, Calif.) is No. 19, first-year Somdev Devvarman (Chennai, India) is No. 22, and third-year Rylan Rizza (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) is No. 36. Second-year Marko Miklo (Bratislava, Slovakia) earned his first career singles ranking at No. 62 and first-year Treat Huey (Alexandria, Va.) is ranked No. 104. The Cavaliers led the ACC with five singles players ranked among the top 125 by the ITA. In doubles, the team of Rizza and fellow third-year Nick Meythaler (Owensboro, Ky.) are ranked No. 19.
The Cavaliers will once again play one of the nation’s toughest schedules this season. Twenty of Virginia’s 21 dual matches this spring will come against teams ranked in the preseason Top 75. The team will have an opportunity to play even more ranked opponents at the ITA/USTA National Team Indoor Championships in February which features the top 13 teams in the preseason rankings in the 16-team field.
Virginia opens the 2005 dual match schedule on January 26 as the Cavaliers host No. 59 Old Dominion. Time of the match is 6:30 at the Boar’s Head Sports Club.