Rinky Hijikata and Benjamin Sigouin
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Tar Heels Grab No. 1 Spot In USTA Poll
February 5, 2020 | Men's Tennis
CHAPEL HILL—The University of North Carolina has earned its first-ever No. 1 ranking in the Tennis Channel/USTA College Tennis Top 25 poll, released on Wednesday. Â
The Tar Heels jumped up a spot from No. 2 in last week's poll after a pair of wins last weekend over then-No. 13 South Carolina and No. 19 Illinois.
"It's an honor to be voted the No. 1 team in the Tennis Channel/USTA poll, but we're just focused on being the best team we can be," UNC head coach Sam Paul told the USTA. "We know there are a lot of tremendous teams out there. We've got to keep pushing the envelope, and we've got to stay healthy."
The Tar Heels will play their first road match of the season on Sunday at No. 12 TCU.
Each team's point total, specified below, is the sum of its ranking points from the USTA's panel of 14 voters (listed below). Each voter ranked 25 teams from Nos. 1 to 25, with the first-place team receiving 25 points and the last-place team receiving one. For control, the highest and lowest outlying ranking for each team on the ballot was removed. First-place votes were not tallied. The maximum points a team can earn this week is 300.
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The weekly rankings will rate the Top 25 men's and women's teams in NCAA Division I and will be released each Wednesday on Tennis Channel's and the USTA's platforms, including the USTA's new Top 25 homepage, through the conclusion of the NCAA Championship.
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The full voting panel includes: Casey Angle (former Intercollegiate Tennis Association Director of Championships); Jordan Bishop (The News Press; Stillwater, Okla.); Virgil Christian (USTA); Richard Croome (The Eagle; Bryan, Texas); Sonny Dearth (Daily Press; Newport News, Va.); Judy Dixon (former UMass women's head coach); David Fish (Universal Tennis Ratings); Granger Huntress (Texas College Tennis); Andy Katz (NCAA.com); Bobby Knight (College Tennis Today); Brandon Moglen (Tennis Channel); Peter Smith (former USC men's head coach); Lisa Stone (Parenting Aces); and Caitlin Thompson (Racquet Magazine).
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Men
Rank (Last Week) – Points
1. (2) North Carolina – 292
2. (4) Ohio State – 291
3. (1) Texas – 266
4. (3) Florida – 264
5. (7) USC – 259
6. (6) Wake Forest – 243
7. (11) Texas A&M – 213
8. (10) Columbia – 210
9. (5) Baylor – 197
10. (12) Stanford – 193
11. (15) NC State – 175
12. (14) Tennessee – 152
13. (8) TCU – 145
14. (20) Michigan – 138
15. (16) Georgia – 127
16. (13) South Carolina – 126
17. (9) UCLA – 113
18. (19) California – 89
19. (17) Mississippi State – 72
20. (23) UCF – 56
21. (NR) Duke – 40
22. (22) Florida State – 33
23. (NR) Mississippi – 29
24. (24) Oklahoma – 27
25. (25) Kentucky – 23
Receiving Votes: Virginia 22, Arizona 16, Illinois 15, Oklahoma State 9, Arkansas 7, Harvard 6, Dartmouth 4, San Diego 3
Dropped Out: Illinois (18), Virginia (21)
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The Tar Heels jumped up a spot from No. 2 in last week's poll after a pair of wins last weekend over then-No. 13 South Carolina and No. 19 Illinois.
"It's an honor to be voted the No. 1 team in the Tennis Channel/USTA poll, but we're just focused on being the best team we can be," UNC head coach Sam Paul told the USTA. "We know there are a lot of tremendous teams out there. We've got to keep pushing the envelope, and we've got to stay healthy."
The Tar Heels will play their first road match of the season on Sunday at No. 12 TCU.
Each team's point total, specified below, is the sum of its ranking points from the USTA's panel of 14 voters (listed below). Each voter ranked 25 teams from Nos. 1 to 25, with the first-place team receiving 25 points and the last-place team receiving one. For control, the highest and lowest outlying ranking for each team on the ballot was removed. First-place votes were not tallied. The maximum points a team can earn this week is 300.
Â
The weekly rankings will rate the Top 25 men's and women's teams in NCAA Division I and will be released each Wednesday on Tennis Channel's and the USTA's platforms, including the USTA's new Top 25 homepage, through the conclusion of the NCAA Championship.
Â
The full voting panel includes: Casey Angle (former Intercollegiate Tennis Association Director of Championships); Jordan Bishop (The News Press; Stillwater, Okla.); Virgil Christian (USTA); Richard Croome (The Eagle; Bryan, Texas); Sonny Dearth (Daily Press; Newport News, Va.); Judy Dixon (former UMass women's head coach); David Fish (Universal Tennis Ratings); Granger Huntress (Texas College Tennis); Andy Katz (NCAA.com); Bobby Knight (College Tennis Today); Brandon Moglen (Tennis Channel); Peter Smith (former USC men's head coach); Lisa Stone (Parenting Aces); and Caitlin Thompson (Racquet Magazine).
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Men
Rank (Last Week) – Points
1. (2) North Carolina – 292
2. (4) Ohio State – 291
3. (1) Texas – 266
4. (3) Florida – 264
5. (7) USC – 259
6. (6) Wake Forest – 243
7. (11) Texas A&M – 213
8. (10) Columbia – 210
9. (5) Baylor – 197
10. (12) Stanford – 193
11. (15) NC State – 175
12. (14) Tennessee – 152
13. (8) TCU – 145
14. (20) Michigan – 138
15. (16) Georgia – 127
16. (13) South Carolina – 126
17. (9) UCLA – 113
18. (19) California – 89
19. (17) Mississippi State – 72
20. (23) UCF – 56
21. (NR) Duke – 40
22. (22) Florida State – 33
23. (NR) Mississippi – 29
24. (24) Oklahoma – 27
25. (25) Kentucky – 23
Receiving Votes: Virginia 22, Arizona 16, Illinois 15, Oklahoma State 9, Arkansas 7, Harvard 6, Dartmouth 4, San Diego 3
Dropped Out: Illinois (18), Virginia (21)
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