Jan. 16, 2001

LUBBOCK, TEXAS- The Texas Tech women's tennis team will open the 2001 spring season with its first-ever ranking. The Red Raiders are ranked 13th in the Southwest Region by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's and are led by senior Alenka Ovin, who is ranked 27th in the region.

Ovin completed the fall season with a 7-5 record in singles. She defeated two conference opponents, Baylor's Paoboa Stephen and Texas A&M's Kit Carson in the Rolex Southwest Tourney.

"This has been an exciting two years," Texas Tech head coach Virginia Brown said of her experience at the school. "We played well in individual tournaments in the fall and have added to our lineup for the spring with freshman Irena Tereschenko of Moscow, Russia. We can hardly wait to get started next week."

Coach Brown emphasized this year's motto as being " 'Success in Determination.' We're here to make a move."

The 13th-ranked Red Raiders will start the 2001 campaign at the Abilene Christian Tournament Fri., Jan. 26.