Utah State men’s tennis receives highest ITA ranking in program history

Photo by USU Athletic Media Relations

The Utah State men’s tennis team was ranked No. 49 in the most recent ITA Collegiate Rankings, released by the organization Tuesday. It is the highest ranking the Aggies have received in program history.

The ranking comes on the heels of a weekend that saw the Aggies go 2-1, losing a close match to then-ranked No. 45 Cal Poly 4-3 before sweeping both Georgetown and Loyola Marymount 4-0.

The ITA rankings are based off a point system that rewards teams for winning matches against ranked opponents, with more points awarded for higher ranked victories, while also favoring road victories. The rankings also penalize teams for losses.

The Aggies are led by last season’s Mountain West Player of the Year, junior Jaime Barajas, and sophomore Samuel Serrano, who have both posted records of 9-4 so far in singles play. Senior Jack Swindells has also gone 8-7 while sophomore Jonas Maier has amassed an 8-5 record in singles matches.

“I think (the players) realize that we are capable of going higher in the rankings, and they are by no means content,” said head coach James Wilson “We will continue to take it one step at a time and prepare our best for each match. This weekend, we will have two great opportunities to build on the momentum we’ve gained so far.”

The Aggies will defend their ranking in two matches this week, both in Logan. The team will take on Pacific on Friday at 11 before facing Idaho on Sunday at 2.