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Tech earns top ranking for first time in history

Feb. 6, 2007

ATLANTA - Two days after the Georgia Tech women's team captured its first national indoor tennis title, the Yellow Jackets achieved another "first" in school history: The eight-member team, coached by former Tech All-American Bryan Shelton, became the first women's team in the history of Georgia Tech to earn a No. 1 National Ranking.

The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) polls, which were released Tuesday afternoon, placed the Yellow Jackets at No. 1, with all 10 first-place votes, ahead of No. 2 Stanford and third-ranked Notre Dame, the two teams Georgia Tech defeated in the semifinals and finals of this past weekend's USTA/ITA National Indoor Team Championship.

"We are still riding high from this weekend and our success in Wisconsin, winning the national title," said Shelton. "It has been great coming home with so many people leaving congratulatory messages, phone calls and text messages."

Georgia Tech's jump from No. 6 ended Stanford's stranglehold on the top spot at 47-straight ranking periods, dating back to Feb. 10, 2004. Saturday night, the Yellow Jackets ended Stanford's NCAA-record winning streak at 89. The Yellow Jackets are just the seventh different women's program to achieve a No. 1 ranking in the last 20 years, joining Duke, Georgia, Florida, Southern California, Stanford and Texas.

"I think that our program is very deserving of the No. 1 national ranking at this point in time," continued Shelton, "however, I think that this will be a long road for us. Our focus is to continue to improve as the season goes along, as the competition will get better and we know that people will be gunning for us."

The Yellow Jackets will be honored at Tuesday night's men's basketball game vs. N.C. State, and continue their season this weekend in Illinois against No. 6 Northwestern, No. 25 William and Mary and Illinois. Tech's first home match will be against Feb. 17 Auburn at 12 noon.

Women's tennis
Fila/Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division I top 25:
1. Georgia Tech
2. Stanford
3. Notre Dame
4. Florida
5. Southern California
6. Northwestern
7. North Carolina
8 .Miami (Fla.)
9. California
10. Baylor
11. Duke
12. Va. Commonwealth
13. Pepperdine
14. Clemson
15. UCLA
16. TCU
17. Georgia
18. Wake Forest
19. Kentucky
20. Texas
21. Michigan
22. Arizona State
23. Vanderbilt
24. Fresno State
25. William & Mary