Three Jayhawks open season ranked

LAWRENCE, Kan. – When Kansas head tennis coach Todd Chapman added the recruiting class of Nina Khmelnitckaia, Janet Koch and Anastasia Rychagova it propelled the Jayhawk program on an upward trajectory which has led to three-straight trips to the NCAA Tournament. That is why it is fitting that all three KU seniors open their final season ranked nationally by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), as announced Tuesday.
 
Rychagova, who held the No. 1 singles ranking on two different occasions last season and became the first Kansas ITA Singles All-America honoree in 20 years, opens the 2018-19 campaign ranked No. 6 in the preseason singles poll. Rychagova also cracked the doubles list with Khmelnitckaia as the Jayhawk duo opens the year at No. 11.
 
Khmelnitckaia and Rychagova finished 15-4 last season in doubles and 8-2 in duals at the No. 1 spot. Nationally, the two Jayhawks were ranked as high as No. 12 and were recognized as All-Big 12 Doubles Second Team honorees.
 
Khmelnitckaia joined Rychagova in the singles poll at No. 106, while Koch is ranked at No. 124.  It marks the second-straight year where the Jayhawks have had three singles players ranked in the same poll.  Last season in the April 3 poll, Rychagova (7), Despoina Vogasari (66) and Khmelnitckaia (116) represented the Jayhawks among the nation’s best.
 
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