Texas Tech University Athletics
Lady Raiders Reach Highest Ranking In History
April 07, 2015 | Women's Tennis
April 7, 2014
LUBBOCK, Texas -- With back-to-back wins over Oklahoma State and Baylor, Texas Tech jumped from No. 18 to No. 15 this week in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings released on Tuesday.
It is only the second time in program history that Texas Tech has reached as high as No. 15. The Lady Raiders spent two weeks at No. 15 beginning exactly two years ago this week.
No. 7 Baylor and No. 9 Oklahoma are the two top-ranked teams in the Big 12. Texas Tech is the only school in the Big 12 to defeat both Baylor and Oklahoma State. Individually, senior Kenna Kilgo, sophomore Lynn Kiro and freshmen Sarah Dvorak, Sabrina Federici and Gabriela Talaba have earned national rankings this week.
Kilgo, a senior from Crawford, climbed the ladder in a hurry from unranked to No. 53 this week after defeating No. 15 Viktoriya Lushvoka of Oklahoma State and No. 25 Ema Burgic of Baylor. Kilgo is 9-7 on the season, including 5-1 in her last six matches.
Kiro, a sophomore from Cape Town, South Africa, checks in at No. 74 this week. She has been ranked in the ITA Top 125 for 16 consecutive ranking periods, dating back to May 1, 2014. Kiro is 20-9 on the season and is one win away from career win No. 50. She would be the second fastest Lady Raider to reach that mark if it happens Friday.
Sarah Dvorak, a freshman from Kurtistown, Hawai'i, is No. 94 this week. Dvorak has had the clinching victory in each of the last three matches. She also leads the team with a 21-9 record this season.
In doubles, Kilgo and Talaba, a freshman from Galati, Romania, have gone from unranked to No. 44 nationally. The pair have won three of their last four, including a 6-2 win over the No. 9 OSU tandem of Lushkova and Kelsey Laurente.
Kiro and Sabrina Federici, a freshman from Westhoughton, England, enter the double rankings at No. 90 nationally. The duo are 13-7 as a tandem this season, including a solid 12-6 mark at No. 2 doubles. The duo upset Baylor's then-No. 26 Kelley Anderson and Leolia JeanJean, 7-6 (7-5).
Texas Tech will continue its homestand, as the Lady Raiders host West Virginia at 2 p.m. on Friday and Iowa State at noon on Sunday at the McLeod Tennis Center.
Players Mentioned
