Clemson Men’s Tennis Ranked 26th in Latest Poll

Feb. 25, 2004

Clemson, SC – The Clemson Men’s Tennis Team moved up one spot to No. 26 in the nation according to the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Poll released on Tuesday afternoon.

The Tigers were able to move up one spot following their four wins at the Clemson Spring Classic last weekend. Clemson earned four victories last weekend, and improved its record to 13-2 on the season. Both Clemson losses were on the road at the hands of ranked opponents (#6 UCLA and #12 Ohio State).

Clemson also has two individuals ranked in the Top 100 in the ITA singles rankings. Sophomore Jarmaine Jenkins is ranked 71st and junior Nathan Thompson is ranked #75.

Georgia enters the match with a 4-1 record on the season and is ranked No. 24 in this week’s ITA Poll. Georgia achieved a high ranking of 14th earlier this season. The Bulldogs defeated Ohio State, the two teams’ only common opponent in the early 2004 season. Georgia’s only loss came in a February 14 match against North Carolina that was played in Athens. The Bulldogs place several athletes on the ITA individual rankings. Bo Hodge is ranked as the fourth best singles player in the nation, while Matias Ormaza holds a #44 ranking. Hodge and John Isner team up forming the fifth-ranked doubles team according to ITA.

Clemson is led by head coach Chuck Kriese in his 29th season. Kriese holds a 578-358 record, and is ranked as the sixth winningest active coach in NCAA Division I. The two-time National Coach-of-the-Year has led the Tigers to 20 NCAA Tournament appearances.