May 30, 2012

OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss women’s tennis team ended the year ranked No. 18 in the final ITA National Team Rankings announced recently.  This marks the third time in the last four years for the Rebels to end the year ranked in the Top 25.

The Rebels (18-9) hosted the NCAA first and second rounds for the first time since 1999 and finished among the top four in the overall SEC standings for the second time in three years.  The 18 wins are the most since the 1999 team posted 21.

Kristi Boxx became the second Rebel player ever to earn All-SEC first team honors all four years as well as the second player in program history to record 200 combined wins in singles and doubles.  Boxx was joined on the All-SEC team by Caroline-Rohde Moe, Abby Guthrie and freshman Erin Stephens.  Julia Jones made the All-Freshman Team along with Stephens.

“We are very proud of the team for the year we had.  To finish in the Top 25 for the third time in four years shows how consistent this team has performed over these last four years,” head coach Mark Beyers said.   “It was a total team effort.  The seniors provided a lot of leadership and won a lot of matches, but the younger players did their part as well.  They really came on strong and picked up some critical wins.”

The Rebels return five of the top seven from this year’s team, including All-SEC performers Rohde-Moe, Stephens and Jones in addition to sophomore Vivian Vlaar and freshman Iris Verboven.    Also returning is Paige Keating.  The team will add Russian native Santa Shumilina, who joined the Rebels in January and will be eligible in 2013, and Swedish standout Marija Milutinovic who signed this spring and will arrive in the fall.  

The final singles and doubles rankings will be announced next week.  

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