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

Source: UT Sports
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