Princeton University Athletics
Steffensen, Day Lead Tennis Teams in First ITA Rankings
January 05, 2016 | Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis
Both Princeton tennis teams will start the spring dual-match season as top-50 programs as the ITA announced its first spring rankings Jan. 5.
The men's team has a No. 34 ranking, which is right near where the team left off last spring season when it made the NCAA tournament, as an at-large, for the first time since 1998 and ended the season ranked 35th, its highest season-ending ranking since 1980. The Tigers return four of their six players from their singles lineup from that NCAA tournament match and five of six from the doubles lineup.
Among the returnees is junior Alex Day, who is ranked 93rd on the ITA's initial singles list of the spring as one of five Ivy Leaguers ranked.
The men's team will get its dual-match season underway Jan. 27 at Wisconsin in preparation for the Ivy season to begin Apr. 2 against Brown. The league race figures to be a competitive one again, with five men's teams ranked in the top 50.
The women's team is ranked 43rd on the first ITA list of the spring after ending last season ranked 42nd following the team's second straight Ivy League title and NCAA tournament appearance.
Sophomore Katrine Steffensen stands 87th on the ITA's opening singles rankings as one of three Ivy Leaguers on the list. She's one of four returners from the six-player singles lineup from the NCAA tournament match, and five of the team's six doubles players return.
The women will get their dual-match season underway Jan. 23 with a pair of contests in Jadwin Gym, against Delaware and Georgetown. The Ivy boasts five ranked women's teams, and the league season will get underway for the Tigers on Mar. 26 against Penn.