March 16, 2000
TEMPE, Ariz. - The Arizona State women's tennis team moved up three spots and are now ranked fourth in the country, according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Rankings, released this afternoon.
Playing without its No. 1 player, 10th-ranked Allison Bradshaw, the Sun Devils defeated then 13th-ranked William and Mary on March 7 and then ninth-ranked UCLA on March 10 before falling to 12th-ranked USC on March 11. The squad boasts a 10-3 overall record with a 2-1 mark in the Pac-10 conference.
ASU plays in one of the toughest leagues in the country, as five of the six southern Pac-10 schools are ranked in the top eight. Stanford is at the top, while California is fifth, UCLA is seventh and USC is eighth. Arizona is still a formidable opponent, as it is ranked 21st in the latest poll.
Individually for the Sun Devils, Bradshaw moved up three spots to No. 10, despite not playing due to a foot injury. Junior Karin Palme, playing in the No. 1 spot for Bradshaw, went 2-1 in her singles matches this week, but dropped from No. 52 to a tie for 70th place. Freshman Megan Yeats remained ranked 81st for the second straight rankings period while Mhairi Brown slid seven spots, from No. 92 to No. 99. In doubles, the tandem of Bradshaw and Celena McCoury moved down 10 spots and are now ranked 29th, although the duo has not played together since Feb. 26.
Arizona State does not play this weekend, as classes are suspended for Spring Break. Competition will resume the following weekend, as the Sun Devils travel to No. 17 Texas on March 25. The match will begin at noon in Austin, Texas.