Jan. 22, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Vanderbilt's women's tennis team has been picked to finish third in the SEC Eastern Division for the second consecutive year in a vote by the league's head coaches that was announced Thursday by the conference office.
The Commodores received 42 votes, finishing 17 points behind Florida for second place in the eastern division. Georgia was picked to win the SEC East after receiving 72 votes. Tennessee, South Carolina and Kentucky rounded out the final three spots in the east.
The Arkansas Razorbacks were tabbed by the league's coaches to take the top spot in the western division, receiving 72 votes. Following Arkansas in the west was Auburn finishing 18 votes behind Arkansas with 54 votes. LSU was picked third with 50 votes while Ole Miss, Alabama and Mississippi State rounded out the west in respective fashion.
Georgia was tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the overall regular season, receiving 11 of the 12 first-place votes. Arkansas received the only other first-place vote. The SEC appears to be one of the nation's premier conferences with six-teams currently ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association top-26.
The 12th-ranked Commodores will return to competition Jan. 31, as they play host to the four-team ITA Kick-Off Weekend. VU will host three of the nation's top-45 Division I programs in Fresno State (15), Denver (28) and Wake Forest (42).
The preseason poll is voted on by the SEC Women's Tennis Coaches and is based on a 6-5-4-3-2-1 count. The complete tally for the poll is below.
2009 Women's Tennis Coaches Preseason Poll
| Rank |
Team |
Points |
| Eastern Division |
| 1. |
Georgia |
72 |
| 2. |
Florida |
59 |
| 3. |
Vanderbilt |
42 |
| 4. |
Tennessee |
30 |
| 5. |
South Carolina |
26 |
| 6. |
Kentucky |
23 |
| Western Division |
| 1. |
Arkansas |
72 |
| 2. |
Auburn |
54 |
| 3. |
LSU |
50 |
| 4. |
Ole Miss |
35 |
| 5. |
Alabama |
28 |
| 6. |
Mississippi State |
13 |
Overall Regular Season Champion: Georgia (11 votes); Arkansas (1)
