Razorbacks earn preseason ranking

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FAYETTEVILLE - The University of Arkansas women's tennis team earned a preseason ranking of 36th in the nation in the initial rankings released by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The Razorbacks finished the 2011-12 season ranked 37th after making their fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

"Clearly this is just a starting point," head coach Michael Hegarty said. "We feel we have a very talented squad this season, and we look forward to them fulfilling all of their potential this season."

The Razorbacks completed a strong fall season by competing in four team tournaments. The youthful squad, which features a freshman class ranked 12th in the nation, will be tested by the 2013 spring schedule.

This season the Razorbacks will face 19 teams ranked in the initial rankings. Eight of those matches will come against teams ranked in the top 25, including three SEC matches against top 10 teams.

Florida was ranked No. 1, followed by UCLA, Duke, Southern California, Stanford, and Georgia respectively. Twelve of the 14 teams in the SEC will enter the season ranked.

"We're looking forward to a challenging schedule," Hegarty said. "It's more about where you end up at the end of the year. We're focusing on getting better."

Arkansas opens their season on January 19th when they face UT-Pan American in Houston, Texas. The home opener for the squad is February 22nd against Ohio State.