NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion University women’s tennis team finished the 2015 season nationally ranked No. 56 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, which is the highest season-end ranking for the program since the 2001 season, when the team finished No. 35.
ODU finished the 2015 year with a 16-6 overall record, which included wins over nationally ranked No. 61 VCU (4-3) and No. 48 ranked Marshall (7-0). ODU head coach Dom Manilla returns all six starters for the 2015-16 season.
“We are proud of our program and the progressive steps we took over the past season,” said Manilla. “This is a very special group that has the qualities required to succeed. With all six our starters returning, as well as the addition of another top recruiting class and a challenging 2016 schedule, the expectations are high for us next year.”
The 7-0 victory against No. 48 Marshall is the highest ranked team ODU has beaten during Manilla’s tenure at the school. This season, Coach Manilla and the Lady Tennis Monarchs defeated two Hall of Fame coaches in Paul Kostin (VCU) and Dr. David Porter (BYU-Hawaii). At one point this season, ODU went on an eight-match win streak, as well as won 11 of 12 matches.
In all in 2014-15, five different Lady Tennis Monarchs raked in all conference honors. Borislava Botusharova made First Team for singles and was named the C-USA Freshman of the Year. Ingrid Vojcinakova joined Botusharova on First Team for singles, while Nikol Hristova and Marijana Novakovic garnered Second Team accolades. Ivana Vukovic claimed a spot on the Third Team for singles and the Botusharova/Hristova tandem teamed up to make Third Team All Conference USA for doubles.
Vojcinakova was one of just six members named to the Conference USA All-Academic Team, while five Lady Tennis Monarchs garnered C-USA Honor Roll recognition for having above 3.0 cumulative grade point averages.
In May, Botusharova was named the recipient of the 2015 Rookie of the Year award by the ITA for the entire Atlantic region.
A total of four teams from Conference USA were nationally ranked by the ITA’s year-end rankings: No. 28 Rice, No. 52 Marshall, No. 56 Old Dominion and No. 75 Middle Tennessee.
SIDE NOTE:
This is the first time since 2002, in which both the men and women’s tennis teams at Old Dominion’s ended the season nationally ranked by the ITA. In 2002, the Lady Tennis Monarchs finished No. 61, while the men were ranked No. 73.
For a complete look at the ITA Rankings, please CLICK HERE.
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