Photo by: Courtesy Ryan Gunter | Gardner-Webb University
Women's Tennis Selected Seventh in Big South Preseason Poll
January 09, 2019 | Women's Tennis
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Big South Conference announced its 2019 Women's Tennis Preseason Poll today, and head coach Jim Corn's Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs were selected seventh out of 10 teams.
The Big South women's tennis head coaches voted on the poll with points earned using a weighted system. First-place votes counted ten points, while second-place votes were worth nine points and so forth.
Defending regular season and tournament champion Winthrop received all 10 first-place votes for the maximum 100 points. Campbell (86 total points) received seven second-place votes, while Charleston Southern (81 points) had three second-place votes.
Only 12 points separated the teams voted fourth through seventh in the poll. The Radford Highlanders (59 points) narrowly edged out Presbyterian (56 points) for fourth. UNC Asheville (54 points) and Gardner-Webb (47 points) narrowly missed out on the final spot in the top-five.
Big South newcomer USC Upstate (31 points) was selected eighth, while Longwood and another first-year BSC member, Hampton, tied for ninth with 18 points.
The Runnin' Bulldogs went 4-14 last season and won their final conference match, 5-2, against the Longwood Lancers, to make the Big South tournament as the No. 8 seed. The 'Dogs faced the Lancers again in the opening round of the tournament and fell by a 4-3 score.
Miljana Ristic (12-6 overall, 4-4 Big South) led the Runnin' Bulldogs last season. Ristic went 5-4 in the No. 3 position and faired even better in the No. 4 spot, winning seven matches while losing just twice.
The Runnin' Bulldogs will open the season on January 19 with a 1 p.m. first serve against Elon at home. Following the match with the Phoenix, Gardner-Webb will play three consecutive road contests, beginning with a 2 p.m. match at North Carolina A&T on February 6.
The Big South women's tennis head coaches voted on the poll with points earned using a weighted system. First-place votes counted ten points, while second-place votes were worth nine points and so forth.
Defending regular season and tournament champion Winthrop received all 10 first-place votes for the maximum 100 points. Campbell (86 total points) received seven second-place votes, while Charleston Southern (81 points) had three second-place votes.
Only 12 points separated the teams voted fourth through seventh in the poll. The Radford Highlanders (59 points) narrowly edged out Presbyterian (56 points) for fourth. UNC Asheville (54 points) and Gardner-Webb (47 points) narrowly missed out on the final spot in the top-five.
Big South newcomer USC Upstate (31 points) was selected eighth, while Longwood and another first-year BSC member, Hampton, tied for ninth with 18 points.
The Runnin' Bulldogs went 4-14 last season and won their final conference match, 5-2, against the Longwood Lancers, to make the Big South tournament as the No. 8 seed. The 'Dogs faced the Lancers again in the opening round of the tournament and fell by a 4-3 score.
Miljana Ristic (12-6 overall, 4-4 Big South) led the Runnin' Bulldogs last season. Ristic went 5-4 in the No. 3 position and faired even better in the No. 4 spot, winning seven matches while losing just twice.
The Runnin' Bulldogs will open the season on January 19 with a 1 p.m. first serve against Elon at home. Following the match with the Phoenix, Gardner-Webb will play three consecutive road contests, beginning with a 2 p.m. match at North Carolina A&T on February 6.
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