Coaches Tab Ole Miss to Win SEC Men's Tennis Title


BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Southeastern Conference announced the men's tennis coaches preseason poll, Thursday, in preparation of the start of the spring tennis season.

The Ole Miss Rebels were picked as the overall champion. Last season, the Rebels went 24-5 and reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships. They finished the year ranked No. 6 and won the SEC Tournament title. Ole Miss is currently ranked ninth in the ITA Men's Tennis Rankings.

Tennessee was voted as Eastern Division Champion, with Florida being voted second. Georgia was voted third, with Kentucky in fourth, Vanderbilt in fifth and South Carolina in sixth.

Ole Miss was also voted as Western Division Champion, with LSU in the #2 spot. Alabama came in third with Auburn in the fourth spot. Arkansas and Mississippi State rounded out the list at fifth and sixth, respectively.

The preseason poll is voted on by the SEC Men's Tennis Coaches and is based on a 6-5-4-3-2-1 count. The complete tally for the poll is below.


2009 Men's Tennis Coaches Preseason Poll

Rank Team Points
Eastern Division
1. Tennessee 67
2. Florida 59
3. Georgia 53
4. Kentucky 35
5. Vanderbilt 22
6. South Carolina 16
Western Division
1. Ole Miss 71
2. LSU 54
3. Alabama 44
4. Auburn 43
5. Arkansas 22
6. Mississippi State 18

Overall Regular Season Champion: Ole Miss (7 votes); Tennessee (3); Florida (2)