Kats finish No. 10 in regional ITA rankings
6/11/2021 3:45:00 PM | Women's Tennis
HUNTSVILLE — The recognitions keep coming for the Sam Houston tennis team following a historic 2021 season.
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The Bearkats came in at No. 10 in the ITA Regional rankings. It is the second straight year Sam Houston has been ranked excluding 2020 when rankings were not released due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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"I'm happy and proud of the accomplishments of this year's team," head coach Rob Hubbard said. ''They gave us a banner year in overall results but more importantly in winning a regular season conference championship for the first time in Sam Houston's history of NCAA Division I play. This regional ranking places them squarely among the best in the country."
In the individual rankings, senior Sahaja Yamalapalli was ranked No. 18 in the state. The two-time Southland Conference Player and Student-Athlete of the Year went a perfect 18-0 in dual match play at No. 1 singles this season.
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Yamalapalli, who did not lose a single set, also became the first Bearkat to ever crack the ITA/NCAA national rankings. She finished the season ranked No. 127 but reached as high as No. 109 during the spring.
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"Sahaja's regional and national rankings can make us even more proud as she again demonstrates the level of play she has brought and developed at Sam Houston," Hubbard said. "People do not realize she was only two ranking slots away from becoming the first player from Sam Houston to ever qualify for the NCAA singles championship. Throughout the year she was in contention for the berth as she was as high as 109."
Sam Houston won its first-ever Southland Conference Championship in 2021 with a 10-1 league record and 15-4 overall mark. The Kats also set team records for highest conference winning percentage (.923), overall season winning percentage (.851) and Southland Conference single-season wins (10).
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The Bearkats came in at No. 10 in the ITA Regional rankings. It is the second straight year Sam Houston has been ranked excluding 2020 when rankings were not released due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Â
"I'm happy and proud of the accomplishments of this year's team," head coach Rob Hubbard said. ''They gave us a banner year in overall results but more importantly in winning a regular season conference championship for the first time in Sam Houston's history of NCAA Division I play. This regional ranking places them squarely among the best in the country."
In the individual rankings, senior Sahaja Yamalapalli was ranked No. 18 in the state. The two-time Southland Conference Player and Student-Athlete of the Year went a perfect 18-0 in dual match play at No. 1 singles this season.
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Yamalapalli, who did not lose a single set, also became the first Bearkat to ever crack the ITA/NCAA national rankings. She finished the season ranked No. 127 but reached as high as No. 109 during the spring.
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"Sahaja's regional and national rankings can make us even more proud as she again demonstrates the level of play she has brought and developed at Sam Houston," Hubbard said. "People do not realize she was only two ranking slots away from becoming the first player from Sam Houston to ever qualify for the NCAA singles championship. Throughout the year she was in contention for the berth as she was as high as 109."
Sam Houston won its first-ever Southland Conference Championship in 2021 with a 10-1 league record and 15-4 overall mark. The Kats also set team records for highest conference winning percentage (.923), overall season winning percentage (.851) and Southland Conference single-season wins (10).
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Players Mentioned
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