BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Ole Miss women's tennis team was picked to finish third in the Southeastern Conference Western Division, as the league office announced the 2013 preseason coaches poll Friday.
Ole Miss (66 points) was voted third behind newcomer Texas A&M (94 points) and Alabama (88 points). The Rebels, who began the spring ranked No. 18 in the nation, finished second in the SEC West and fourth overall last year with an 8-3 league record.
"It's going to be another exciting season in the SEC," head coach Mark Beyers said. "This league just keeps getting tougher. We could have another year with seven or more SEC schools in the top 25. Winning the SEC West is always one of our goals, and this year is no different.
"The addition of A&M makes the West even more difficult, but I feel we have the depth and talent level to compete with any team in the league."
The remainder of the West was: 4. Arkansas (47 points), 5. Auburn (46 points), 6. LSU (34 points), and 7. Mississippi State (17 points).
The Florida Gators were picked as the overall champion for the fourth consecutive year. Last season, the Gators went 27-1, 11-0 in the SEC. They won the regular season SEC title as well as the SEC Tournament title. The Gators also won their second consecutive NCAA title.
Florida was also voted as Eastern Division Champion with 98 points. Georgia was second (83 points) with Vanderbilt coming in at third (62 points). The remainder of the East was: 4. Tennessee (61 points), 5. South Carolina (44 points), 6. Kentucky (23 points), and Missouri (21 points).
The preseason poll is voted on by the women's tennis head coach at each institution and is based on a 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 count in each division. They also vote for the overall champion, with each vote counting as one point.
The complete tally for the poll is below.
2013 Women's Tennis Coaches Preseason Poll
EASTERN DIVISION
POINTS
Florida
98
Georgia
83
Vanderbilt
62
Tennessee
61
South Carolina
44
Kentucky
23
Missouri
21
WESTERN DIVISION
POINTS
Texas A&M
94
Alabama
88
Ole Miss
66
Arkansas
47
Auburn
46
LSU
34
Mississippi State
17
Overall Regular Season Champion: Florida (13 points), Texas A&M (1)
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