Kansas tennis earns highest ranking in over 20 years

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas women’s tennis team Wednesday moved up the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s (ITA) poll to No. 11, the highest ranking for the Jayhawks since the team was ranked No. 7 in 1994.
 
Kansas moved up five spots from No. 16 from last week’s rankings after its second top-25 victory of the season. The Jayhawks have wins over Northwestern (then No. 19) and Illinois (then No. 18).
 
“As a program we try not to focus on individual and team rankings too much, but I also believe when you accomplish something that has not been done in 25 years, you need to acknowledge it,” said Kansas head coach Todd Chapman. “We are pleased with where we currently are, but this team and program believes there is a lot left to achieve. It has taken a village to get where we stand, and it is going to take even more commitment to get where we want to go in the future.”
 
Kansas currently has four players in the ITA rankings between singles and doubles. In singles, all three Jayhawk seniors are currently ranked – Janet Koch (No. 34), Nina Khmelnitckaia (No. 70) and Anastasia Rychagova (No. 109).
 
The Jayhawks have also made their presence known in doubles competition this season. After a stellar summer and fall competing together, Koch and Khmelnitckaia are ranked No. 5 in the country. In addition, Rychagova and Kansas freshman Sonia Smagina are ranked No. 27.
 
In the first three weeks of the spring 2019 season, two Jayhawks – sophomore Plobrung Plipuech and Rychagova – have been named the Big 12 Player of the Week.
 
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