June 7, 2005

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara University women's tennis team received a No. 9 regional ranking in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll. The Broncos compete in the Northwest region, which includes schools from Northern California and the Pacific Northwest.

The Broncos received the highest ranking of the other WCC schools in the region. Saint Mary's was listed No. 11 while Portland and San Francisco were listed 13th and 14th, respectively. Local rival San Jose State was listed No. 15. Seven of the eight teams listed above the Broncos are currently ranked nationally, including No. 1 Stanford.

"I'm really pleased to have made it into the top 10, having all but one school ranked ahead of us being nationally ranked," first-year head coach Damon Coupe said. "It's a testament to the hard work that the team put in this year."

The Broncos finished the 2004-05 season with a 16-7 overall record and earned its first-ever national ranking, appearing 70th in the ITA poll on February 1. Santa Clara's 16 wins marked the most for the program since the 1997 season, when those Broncos went 16-12. The Broncos have posted .500 or better seasons for the past six years.

ITA Northwest Regional Rankings