AASU Tennis Teams Begin 2009-10 Seasons Ranked No. 1

SAVANNAH, Ga. - The two-time defending DII national champion Armstrong Atlantic State men's and women's tennis teams begin the 2009-10 season ranked No. 1 in the fall rankings issued by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) on Wednesday.

The Pirates and Lady Pirates each appear atop the team rankings in the only ones to be issued by the organization before the spring dual match season begins in February.

Individually, the Pirates and Lady Pirates combine to place four players in the Top 10 in the singles rankings, as well as three doubles teams.

On the women's side, ITA Super Bowl champion Sona Novakova comes in at No. 1, where she has been ranked since her freshman campaign. Novakova has not lost a singles match to a DII opponent in one and a half seasons since joining the Lady Pirates in fall of 2008.

Junior Alida Muller-Wehlau appears at No. 5 in the singles rankings, with senior Gabriella Kovacs coming in at No. 15. Senior Martina Beckmann is ranked No. 24 and junior Tina Ronel is ranked No. 38, giving the Lady Pirates five players in the singles rankings this fall.

In doubles, the duo of Beckmann and Muller-Wehlau check in at No. 4, while Novakova and Kovacs are ranked No. 5. The duo of Ronel and Kathleen Henry is ranked No. 15 as well.

On the men's side, junior Rafael Array is ranked a career-high No. 5 in singles after capturing the ITA Southeast Regional singles title this fall. Junior Mikk Irdoja is ranked No. 7 and senior Paul Fitzgerald is ranked No. 38.

The doubles duo of Array and Irdoja is ranked No. 4 in doubles, the only AASU duo to appear in the fall rankings.

To view the complete 2009 ITA Fall Rankings, click here.

Dual match play begins for the Pirates and Lady Pirates in February.