Jan. 6, 2009

Tulsa, Okla. - The University of Tulsa's men's tennis team is ranked 13th and the women's team is ranked 34th in the first team national rankings of the season released by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Senior Arnau Brugues is ranked No. 10 in the men's singles poll after finishing the fall season with a 16-3 singles record including a 9-3 mark against nationally-ranked opponents, junior Philip Stephens is ranked 92nd after turning in a 4-3 singles record during the fall campaign.

Brugues and Stephens also will begin the spring season ranked fourth in the nation in doubles after going 6-2 during the fall, which included a second-place finish at the D'Novo All-Americans and a semifinals appearance at the ITA National Indoor Championships.

The men's team also placed seven singles players and three doubles teams in the ITA Central Region Rankings. Brugues comes in ranked second behind Oleksandr Nedovyesov of Oklahoma State, Stephens is ranked eighth, Victor Kolik is ranked No. 13, Alberto Sottocorno comes in 15th, Marko Ballok ranks No. 17, James Seagraves is ranked 19th and Ross Cunningham is ranked No. 27. In doubles, Brugues and Stephens begin the season ranked No. 1, Patrick Collins and Rusty Turpin are ranked seventh and the pair of Ballok and Sottocorno are ranked No. 13.

On the women's side, Alexandra Kichoutkin is ranked No. 16 and Thalia Diaz-Barriga is ranked 29th in the ITA Central Region singles rankings.