SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The Bronco men's tennis team shot up a remarkable 32 spots in the ITA Rankings released on Tuesday, and is now ranked No. 42 in the country. It was the ITA's first computer rankings of the 2014 season. The previous rankings were based on the NCAA coaches.
"I'm glad the team is getting recognized for its hard work," said Santa Clara Head Coach Derek Mills. "We've come up pretty big in some tough matches lately. We're going to continue working hard in practice so we can work on getting better every single day."
Santa Clara is 7-1 overall during the 2014 season. The team is 6-0 at home, 0-1 on the road, and 1-0 in neutral site matches. The Broncos are 3-1 against ranked opponents, with their only loss coming at national powerhouse USC, currently ranked No. 2 in the nation.
Santa Clara is on its longest winning streak since the 2012 squad, which made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history, reeled off eight consecutive victories. The Broncos are also off to their best start through eight matches in the last decade.
In its most recent match last Sunday, the team continued its exceptional run by knocking off the No. 69 New Mexico Lobos, 4-1, for its sixth consecutive win. The Broncos were on fire during February, finishing the month with a perfect 5-0 record including several strong wins. The Lobos entered Sunday's match with four straight victories of their own, but had their winning streak snapped.
After a string of home matches, Santa Clara will hit the road for the first time in over a month when it travels north to face Gonzaga. The Broncos and Bulldogs will play on Sun., March 2nd at 12pm. The match marks the start of West Coast Conference play for the Broncos, and it comes at a great time given the team's record performance.
For more on the No. 42 men's tennis team, including information on this weekend's WCC opener against Gonzaga, check back on SantaClaraBroncos.com. Stay up to date with everything men's tennis on Facebook and Twitter @SCUmtennis. Go Broncos!