June 6, 2007

Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

IRVING, Texas - Eleven Conference USA institutions appear in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) regional rankings for 2007 as announced by the governing body of collegiate tennis. Twenty five C-USA tennis players were also honored with individual or doubles pair rankings. Tulsa's men's squad is represented by a league-high six individuals in the Central Region, highlighted by Arnau Brugues at No. 1. The Hurricane men are also the highest regionally ranked team, coming in at No. 2.

For the women, Marshall's Kellie Schmitt is the highest ranked individual, appearing at No. 4 in the East Region. The ranking is the highest ever by any Marshall singles player. The Herd are ranked No. 6 in the East. SMU and Tulsa lead C-USA in women's individual selections with three each in the Southwest and Central Regions, respectively. Rice's Julie Chao is the highest ranked women's selection in the Southwest Region at No. 21, while Tulsa's Santie Delport is No. 22 in the Central. The Mustangs are ranked No. 6 in the Southwest, followed by Rice at No. 9, Houston at No. 13 and UTEP at No. 14. In the Central Region, Tulsa comes in at No. 5.

Tulsa's Ricardo Soriano follows Brugues at No. 7 in the Central Region and brother Federico Soriano is next at No. 16. Golden Hurricane players follow at Nos. 18, 25 and 26. Rice's Ben Harknett is the top ranked C-USA player in the South Central Region at No. 6. He is joined by his teammates Ralph Knupfer and Jason Mok at Nos. 17 and 22. SMU's Alex Skrypko is ranked No. 9 in the South Central and fellow Mustangs Federico Murgier at and David Kuczer follow at Nos. 29 and 30, respectively.

In men's doubles, Tulsa's Diego Comacho and Ross Cunningham take the No. 4 spot in the Central Region. Lucques Maasdorp and R. Soriano follow at No. 7. Tulsa has a third doubles team ranked No. 8. Knupfer and Tobias Scheil of Rice are the top C-USA duo in their region, ranked No. 6. SMU's Skrypko and Muriger complete the C-USA doubles honors at No. 7.

Marshall's Schmitt and Lynzee Kever are ranked seventh in the East Region for doubles. Tulsa's Carla Zabaleta and Kindsay Grimes are ranked No. 11 in the Central Region, while Natalia Bubien and Claire Rietsch of SMU are ranked No. 9 in the Southwest Region.

C-USA sent three schools to the NCAA team championships as both Tulsa programs grabbed the league's automatic bids. The Rice men also appeared in the NCAA team championship earning an at-large bid. Tulsa's Brugues, participated in the men's singles championship along with Harknett of Rice. TU's Camacho and Cunningham were chosen for action in the men's doubles event. Marshall's Schmitt was the lone women's player to make the NCAA individual draw. It was the first appearance for a Marshall player in the individual championship.

Brugues made the quarterfinals of the singles championship, advancing father than any Tulsa player since the modern format was established in 1977. He garnered All-American status for the second-consecutive year and finished 31-7 overall and 19-7 against ranked foes. His 31 wins were the fourth most in TU tennis history.